Food & Beverage

Cognex Enhances Line of Barcode Readers With 2DMax+ Technology

September 25, 2012

Cognex Corp. has incorporated 2DMax+ software for barcode reading into its DataMan 100 and 200 fixed-mount readers.

Toys 'R' Us CEO: Future Belongs to Retailers Who Work Multiple Channels

September 24, 2012

Toys "R" Us CEO Jerry Storch has taken a light saber to the idea that the future belongs to the internet and that big box retailers are doomed to irrelevance. Storch says the successful brands will be those with a consumer-facing network across all channels, and says Toys "R" Us is leveraging its strengths, including its store base, to grow and thrive over the long term.

RFID Measures Worker Productivity on Tomato, Cucumber Farm

September 24, 2012

RFID Journal

Employees at tomato and cucumber producer Eurofresh Farms have increased their productivity by between 200 and 250 percent thanks to an RFID-based solution that helps the company track the exact amount of work performed by each staff member, and then compensate that individual accordingly.

Glitcha, Glitcha: Little Caesars POS Systems Doesn't Process Card Payment for Eight Months!

September 24, 2012

Storefront Backtalk

A glitch that sat between a Little Caesars franchisee's POS system and its payment processor, Fifth Third, caused one of its pizza shops to process zero payment card transactions for more than eight months. (A second store didn't process transactions for two months.) And then, to the non-delight of that store's customers, the glitch was fixed and they started getting collectively hit with thousands of charges for eight months of pizza purchases.

Seamlessly Correcting a Labeling Error to Save Client Resources

September 23, 2012

Challenge: Port Jersey Logistics began providing value-added services to a long-term client, a major specialty food distributor. PJL now handles labeling, bar-coding, ink-jetting and repacking, decreasing product travel time/mileage and vendor costs. The client aimed wanted its customers to obtain their product shipments faster and at lower prices.

Creating competitive advantage with Forward Stocking Locations

September 22, 2012

Challenge: A $17 billion medical technologies and services firm approached us in need of a logistically cost-effective way to respond to equipment service calls at medical facilities more quickly. Furthermore, the client's field engineers required fast, easy access to parts and tools availability information.

Does Amway's Decision to Build Plant in U.S. Exemplify Renaissance in American Manufacturing?

September 21, 2012

Chief Executive

China has become the biggest market for Amway's nutritional supplements. But three years ago, when the icon of multi-level marketing faced a decision as to whether to build a state-of-the-art supplement plant in China or in the U.S., Amway chose to erect it down the road from its global headquarters in Ada, Michigan. It's typical of a renaissance in U.S. manufacturing.

Government Import Controls Cause Luxury Goods Retailers to Move Out of Argentina

September 21, 2012

Fortune

A slew of luxury goods retailers are leaving Argentina in response to import barriers, currency controls and soaring inflation. American designer Ralph Lauren was the most recent departure when it announced last month that it was closing three of its stores in Buenos Aires, including its flagship in the upscale Recoleta district, as draconian measures on imports have all but left it unable to stock its shelves.

Survey Finds Need for New Approach to Improving, Measuring Automotive Quality

September 21, 2012

AIAG

The methods for measuring quality in the automotive industry are outdated and in need of replacement, according to a study detailed by AIAG, a not-for-profit organization that works with global manufacturing companies and service providers to help them operate at peak performance.

As Battles Over Pipelines Continue, Rail Moves Great Volumes of Canadian Oil

September 20, 2012

Globe and Mail

Canada's oil patch is quietly sending large new volumes of oil on rail cars, even as it fights to overcome mounting opposition to plans for new pipelines to the U.S. Gulf Coast and Canada's West Coast.