Food & Beverage

Cloud Providers 'Could Do More' to Ensure Their Services Won't Fail

May 15, 2014

Cloud providers do not give companies enough insight into performance and customer demand, according to Compuware.

Many Aerospace, Defense Firms Dissatisfied with Project Operations Software, Study Says

May 13, 2014

Project-based operations that improved on-time and on-budget performance by 10 percent or more were nine times as likely to also improve dramatically on key financial metrics such as net profit margin and cost of compliance. Nearly every project-based manufacturer feels it is important for their company to improve on end-to-end project management, but less than half of the companies in project manufacturing, aerospace and defense (A&D) and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) sectors with project-based operations make wide use of any recognized category of commercial software system. This includes limited use of enterprise resources planning and quality management (QMS) systems.

Government Cutbacks Create 'Major Merger Wave' in Aerospace & Defense Sector

May 13, 2014

Los Angeles Times

With protracted federal budget cuts at the Pentagon and NASA on the horizon, aerospace companies across the nation are choosing to combine forces as they vie for fewer dollars and brace for the tough times ahead.

Office Depot Plans to Close About 400 Stores Over the Next Two Years

May 12, 2014

MultiChannel Merchant

Office Depot Inc. will close at least 400 stores by the end of 2016, according to chairman and CEO Roland Smith.

Security Must Be Central to Retailers' Omnichannel Initiatives, Report Urges

May 12, 2014

Essential Retail

Retailers must put procedures in place to protect the long-term health of their businesses and ensure security concerns are a central part of their omnichannel strategies, according to a new industry report.

What Can Chess Teach About Big Data, End-to-end Visibility and the Future of Supply Chains?

May 12, 2014

Joe Bellini, Executive Staff Member, One Network Enterprises

Most firms have already invested in business intelligence, supply chain management (SCM), and modeling tools that claim to make it possible to drill deeper into their supply chain data in search of savings. These tools are often marketed with vague promises that they will harness the organization's 'big data' and/or provide 'end-to-end' visibility.

Global Vehicle Production to Increase by 21 Million Units by 2021; China to Account for Half

May 12, 2014

IHS Automotive

Global automobile production will increase by 21 million units by 2021, and has grown by 25 million units since 2009 as the industry continues to recover from the impact of the global economic recession, according to a forecast by IHS Automotive, part of IHS Inc. China will dominate, but there is a considerable upside attached to the North American industry as it attracts foreign investment, and in the European industry as its domestic markets climb back. Japanese and South Korean production will decline as local OEMs focus their efforts overseas.

Coping With the Nightmare of Consumer-Product Recalls

May 12, 2014

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

My previous post covered the difficulty of tracing and ensuring the quality of automotive and aerospace parts. The job is just as tough for consumer packaged goods and food producers.

Multibillion-dollar Deals Drive Retail, Consumer M&A Activity in Early 2014

May 9, 2014

PwC US

U.S. retail and consumer merger & acquisition activity during the first quarter of 2014 was primarily driven by five multibillion-dollar transactions, with more than half aligned to the food and beverage sector, confirming a positive deals outlook for the year, according to PwC's U.S. retail and consumer deals insights Q1 2014 report.

Program Launched Honoring Supply Chain/Procurement Professionals Under

May 9, 2014

ThomasNet

ThomasNet and the Institute for Supply Management are partnering to spotlight millennials whose initiative and leadership are strengthening procurement and supply chain management.