February 2012 Archive
February 29, 2012
Foxconn Scandal Offers Supply Chain Lessons (Forbes)
Fortune 500 companies’ supply chains are increasingly under the microscope— by consumers, investors, and the media. This scrutiny benefits not just factory workers but also the environment. And while uncomfortable for companies caught in the spotlight today, in the longer-term it will help business, too.
February 27, 2012
Sign up for webinar introducing the “Supply Chain Risk Exposure Index”
In the webcast “Mitigating Business Risks from the Known-Unknown to the Unknown-Unknown” this Wednesday, February 29th 11:30am EST, Professor Simchi-Levi will present his new concept of “Supply Chain Risk Exposure Index” which will enable companies to measure the actual cost of risk in their supply chains.
February 27, 2012
It’s Time to Bring Manufacturing Back to the U.S. (David Simchi-Levi HBR blog)
…without a concentrated, collaborative, national effort, it will be difficult for the United States to reestablish worldwide manufacturing prominence.
February 22, 2012
Apple plans environmental audits of China suppliers
Apple has told prominent environmental activists in the U.S. and China that it will soon allow independent environmental reviews of at least two suppliers’ factories in China, the activists said. Environmental examinations would be separate from an independent probe of working conditions at the Chinese factories of Apple suppliers, including Foxconn Technology, that began last week.
February 21, 2012
Who Will Pay for Apple Supplier Changes?
Will Apple successfully pass the extra costs of the initiatives it has introduced recently to its contract manufacturers and suppliers; will the company itself absorb the cost, or will it successfully pass these onto customers?
February 16, 2012
How Companies Learn Your Secrets (NYT)
Almost every major retailer, from grocery chains to investment banks to the U.S. Postal Service, has a “predictive analytics” department devoted to understanding not just consumers’ shopping habits but also their personal habits, so as to more efficiently market to them.
February 16, 2012
SCDigest Supply Chain Guru Predictions for 2012
Dr. David Simchi-Levi Professor MIT Some of the issues that have been in the forefront in 2011 will likely dominate the attention of executives in 2012: (1) Supply chain risk management: The news in 2011 was dominated with the fallout from two major catastrophic events – the Japanese Tsunami in March and the floods in …
Continue Reading: SCDigest Supply Chain Guru Predictions for 2012
February 14, 2012
Coca-Cola’s Water Management Four Best Practices
The Coca-Cola Company uses 300 billion liters of water a year and it is the enabling supply chain resource for its approximately 3,000 different products sold in over 200 countries that generates $35 billion in annual revenues. Therefore, using water efficiently and sustainably is both a business and environmental need and is key to the company’s survival.
February 14, 2012
Operations Rules for Driving Business Value & Growth: Register for webinar series
Part 1: Mitigating Business Risks from the Known-Unknown to the Unknown-Unknown Proven Ways to Analyze the Different Sources of Supply Chain Risk, Assess the Impact on the Business and Build Various Mitigation Measures Into the Business Strategy In the last few years we have seen an increase in the levels of risk and volatility faced …
Continue Reading: Operations Rules for Driving Business Value & Growth: Register for webinar series
February 13, 2012
Apple pulling supplier strings to handicap Ultrabook makers?
The company has reportedly pressured Taiwanese supplier Pegatron into dropping its production of the ASUS Zenbook, due to its striking similarities to the MacBook Air.
February 11, 2012
2012 MIT Conference: The Future of Manufacturing on May 8-9 is now open for registration
This Leaders for Global Operations/ILP event will gather CEOs of major companies along with MIT faculty and Government leaders to focus on the current state and the future of manufacturing in the US. We will address major challenges including government policies, global operations and key trends in technology, manufacturing and sourcing. New MIT research on how hundreds of companies address these challenges will inform our discussion.
February 10, 2012
The Silk Road – the First Global Supply Chain
Starting around 200 BC and extending 4,000 miles, the Silk Road got its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade and tea trade in exchange for spices, nuts and jewels from Europe and the Middle East. In addition, various science and technology innovations were traded along with religious ideas and the bubonic plague. The Silk Road was a significant factor in the development of the great modern civilizations.
February 10, 2012
Why Manufacturing Still Matters: Laura D’Andrea Tyson
..And promising signs are emerging that American companies are shifting some manufacturing production and employment back to the United States. Policies to strengthen the competitiveness of the United States as a location for manufacturing can strengthen these nascent developments.
February 10, 2012
The Economics of Forest-Friendly Supply Chains (Forbes)
87 major corporations (including Nike, Nestle and Unilever) around the world shared the results of their supply chain analysis with the Forest Disclosure Project (FDP). At issue is the global supply of “forest risk” products such as soy, palm oil and biofuel, not to mention timber. All are harvested either directly from forests or from recently-deforested land, and failure to manage that land properly will lead to higher prices for these commodities, more destruction of rainforests, and more liability for companies involved.
February 9, 2012
Being more like Coca-Cola takes about 10 days out of GSK’s pharma supply chain
In the last 6 months, GSK has been “simplifying the manufacturing footprint” to align that footprint more tightly to the three main businesses: Vaccines, Pharma and Consumer. Creating a single end-to-end supply chain, much like you would find in any of the major Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies around the world allows the company to drive the speed of response, drive the costs lower and particularly to drive cash and the working capital out of the process.
February 9, 2012
Nokia restructures smartphone supply chain
Moving assembly out of Europe and the Americas to factories in Asia where most of the components are sourced. As a result factories in Komarom, Hungary, Reynosa, Mexico and Salo, Finland will focus on smartphone product customisation, serving customers mainly in Europe and the Americas. About 4,000 jobs will go as a result.
February 9, 2012
Online shopping logistics endures growing pains
The internet retailing revolution has brought enormous benefits to the global express and logistics sectors. However, there are challenges of different kinds in China and the US.
February 8, 2012
466,000 jobs in the “App Economy” in the United States, up from zero in 2007
New TechNet Sponsored Study also found that App Economy jobs are spread throughout the nation with more than two-thirds of employment outside of California and New York.
February 8, 2012
Great introduction to distribution in new online television series on supply chain
Starring Emmy® Award winner Steve Thomas, former host of PBS’s “This Old House,” the premiere episode of Move It! showcases transportation and distribution operations at the Port of Virginia, the consumer products companies Amway and iHerb, and a brand-new Old Dominion Freight Line trucking terminal.
February 8, 2012
More companies are assessing the true cost of outsourcing
China’s wages have risen 15 percent a year over the last decade, prompting U.S. companies to rethink where they manufacture.