Automotive

The Wait's Over: SEC Finally Acts on Rule to Track Conflict Minerals

September 4, 2012

Moving at the blinding speed of bureaucracy, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has finally adopted a rule that requires manufacturers to report on their use of conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Those Pushing Social CRM Shouldn't Forget Lessons Learned When 'Traditional' CRM Started

September 4, 2012

CRM Buyer

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, wrote George Santayana, and if you've observed technology long, you know that the cycles of repetition become shorter with each passing year. When it comes to CRM, we're seeing it again in the form of social CRM: companies are making the same mistakes they made at the start of the CRM era.

The Wait's Over: SEC Finally Acts on Rule to Track Conflict Minerals

September 4, 2012

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

Industrial Supplier Superstore Keeps Next-Day Promise with Distribution Center Redesign

September 3, 2012

Challenge: Our client made a bold promise to its customers. Order any of its 600,000 products from its vast super store of industrial supplies by 8:00 pm EST, and get next day delivery. But with more than 2 million square feet of warehouse space and the highest SKU count in the industry, keeping that promise was a challenge.

Why Europe's Economic Woes Spell Bad News for U.S. Exporters

August 27, 2012

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

Schadenfreude is the act of deriving pleasure from observing the misfortunes of others. It helps to explain our enjoyment of tragedy, comedy and reality TV. It's also a convenient emotion to access when we read about economies that are in worse shape than ours. We would be well-advised, however, not to submit to the urge to feel superior to the slow-motion train wreck that is the European Union. What's happening in that dysfunctional coalition promises to have severe consequences for U.S. exporters.

Why Europe's Economic Woes Spell Bad News for U.S. Exporters

August 27, 2012

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

Use of Robotics Grows in Manufacturing and Distribution

August 22, 2012

The New York Times

A new wave of robots, far more adept than those now commonly used by automakers and other heavy manufacturers, are replacing workers around the world in both manufacturing and distribution. Such factories are a striking counterpoint to those used by Apple and other consumer electronics giants, which employ hundreds of thousands of low-skilled workers.

What's the Right Price Tag for CRM System?

August 20, 2012

CIO

Making the business case for an accounting or HR system is clear-cut: Avoid unnecessary costs, manage cash better, reduce risk and you're done. If you were to invest twice as much in one of those systems, you might increase business payoff by 20 percent, so you can find the optimization point for ROI in a single spreadsheet. But what about the customer relationship management system?

Can Automotive Supply Chain Overcome Challenges Facing It?

August 16, 2012

Industry Week

Anyone in the business of manufacturing automobiles, trucks and automotive components back in the tumultuous years of 2008 and 2009 might be tempted to put their metaphorical transmission into neutral, reveling just a little bit in the success that surrounds an industry that is experiencing something akin to a rebirth. But as sweet as that might seem in the short term, there are significant challenges facing automotive suppliers despite the improving production outlook.

Why Southeast Michigan's Economy Is Bouncing Back

August 14, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

What Rust Belt? Timothy Butler, associate professor at Wayne State University's School of Business Administration, details how Southeast Michigan's economy - of which the automotive industry is a major piece - is recovering.

Automotive

The latest supply-chain news, analysis, trends and tools for executives in the automotive industry — which consists of companies that produce automobiles, utility vehicles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and heavy trucks. Learn how automotive companies and their suppliers around the world are managing the flow of products across all channels of the enterprise. Experts sound off on forecasting and demand planning, supply-chain visibility, logistics outsourcing, inventory optimization, transportation management, warehouse management, supply-chain security, corporate social responsibility and more.