The role of small and medium-sized enterprises in international trade is evolving.
By Dean A. Pinkert
Small and medium-sized enterprises (“SMEs”) represent the most common form of business organization in the world, and they are the principal creators of jobs. Nevertheless, SMEs present a substantial challenge for trade policy.
You can lower your operation’s carbon footprint with propane.
By Jeremy Wishart
Green is “in” in supply chain management. A growing number of supply chain businesses have adopted an environmentally-friendly mindset, with a goal of reducing facility emissions and, in turn, shrinking their carbon footprint. Working toward a sustainable operation encourages worker safety and comfort. It also mitigates harmful effects to the environment and helps businesses win the respect of their customer and community.
There are common pitfalls to avoid in your supply chain’s digital transformation.
By Dr. Madhav Durbha
Digital supply chains are all the rage now. A quick browse through the public filings and investor presentations of several publicly traded corporations indicates some sort of digital supply chain initiative under way. This is not surprising given the major factors reshaping supply chains, such as rapidly shifting consumer behaviors, trade wars, heavy M&A activity, the Amazon effect, increased focus on sustainability and cyber-physical convergence. However, are these digital efforts bearing fruit and delivering on the promise?
When improving your processes to get greater efficiencies, you must ask the right questions.
By Jason Lockard
The typical life cycle of consumer-packaged goods (CPG) goes something like this: a product is designed, its raw materials are sourced, the item is manufactured and the finished good is stored in a warehouse. Historically, it is at this point in the value chain that a logistics partner is called in so that the product can go from warehouse to end-customer without further involvement from the shipper.
If your company’s productivity is down, cost-per-unit staffing may be the answer.
By Carl Schweihs
Is your fulfillment line typical or is it exceptional? A typical line is generally 70- to 80-percent productive on a given day. That’s considering that your top employees are 90-percent productive, while new employees typically hover at 40-percent productivity until they get up-to-speed. Assuming 20-percent turnover, that means a typical fulfillment line is generally 70- to 80-percent productive. And that’s with everything moving smoothly.
A robust supplier diversity program has helped CBS Corporation expand opportunities for diverse-owned businesses. By Eric Slack
Supplier diversity has long been a cornerstone of CBS Corporation’s operations. Indeed, diversity is something CBS has embraced at all levels – on screen, behind the camera, in the workforce and with supplier relationships.
“Supplier diversity is a key strategic initiative of the company’s procurement function,” Senior Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer Tom Hogan says.
Here are the top four mistakes companies can make when searching MRP/ERP software.
By Karl Lauri
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, sometimes called MRP when designed for and used in a manufacturing setting, can be complex and comes in a variety of sizes and flavors. Choosing the best solution is one that senior management wrestles with, especially within small and mid-sized companies, which are less likely to have the resources to tweak the software to their unique specifications.
Businesses may be agreeing to terms and conditions they cannot fulfill without even realizing it.
By Patrick W. Kelly
Company A needs 500 crates. Company B sells crates. Company A sends a purchase order to Company B for 500 crates. Company B sends Company A an invoice for the cost of the 500 crates. Yet neither the purchase order nor the invoice addresses the timing of the payment, the shipping date or the quality of the crates.
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