Mary E. Shacklett is an internationally recognized technology commentator and President of Transworld Data, a marketing and technology services firm. Prior to founding her own company, she was Vice President of Product Research and Software Development for Summit Information Systems, a computer software company; and Vice President of Strategic Planning and Technology at FSI International, a multinational manufacturer in the semiconductor industry.
Mary has business experience in Europe, Japan, and the Pacific Rim. She has a BS degree from the University of Wisconsin and an MA from the University of Southern California, where she taught for several years. She is listed in Who's Who Worldwide and in Who's Who in the Computer Industry.
Earlier this year, a new generation of very small transistors was released, reducing board space by 50% and raising the hopes of mobile device manufacturers as they build ever more compact smart phones, wearable watches and other e-gear requiring smaller, thinner form factors. The question now for chip manufacturers, is how far can you go…
Companies responded to the recession of the mid-2000s with an ever-vigilant focus on saving on transportation fuel costs, and they made it a priority to look at sea and land shipping instead of air to save on spending. Since then, new supply chain strategies, such as in-sourcing manufacturing and locating goods production closer to large…
Earlier this year, Intel delayed opening up a major chip factory as a consequence of slumping PC sales, which declined by 10% in 2013 as the presence of smartphones and other mobile technologies continued to penetrate historically PC markets. Intel's new fabrication facility, code-named “Fab 42,” was to have begun operation in Chandler, Ariz. It…
“Digital information is growing at such a rapid rate and in such dramatic volumes that traditional storage systems used to house and manage it will eventually run out of runway,” Tom Rosamilia, senior vice president of IBM's systems and technology group, said in a mid-May presentation to industry analysts. References were made to Watson, which…
As companies bring together brick-and-mortar and e-commerce channels, systems and distribution must be intelligent enough to know where the best place is to fill an order from — whether it is a distribution center or a retail store. State-of-the-art warehouse and distribution management systems capable of storing, tracking, and updating in real-time a centralized inventory…
As more analytics gets introduced into supply chain management, the need to shift distribution bases to keep pace with the rapid shifts in business and customer bases also comes into play. From the analytics standpoint, the process is easy. Companies can now see shifts in their customer base, changes required in their business models, and…
While warehouse management (WMS) and transportation management (TMS) systems have soared to next-generation technology sophistication, managing truck schedules and the loading and unloading of cargo is still managed on clipboards and walkie-talkies. How do electronics companies change this process? “The challenge is that there are many different vendors and many different scheduling requirements,” said Greg…
Each year, nearly 25 million containers and trailers are moved in the United States using intermodal transportation, according to the Intermodal Association of North America. Intermodal transportation initiatives have resulted in a multi-billion dollar US intermodal industry where shippers now routinely look for the most efficient combination of truck, rail, ocean, and air to get…
Many organizations manage supplier risk by identifying alternate suppliers for when a severe problem arises. However, there are other supplier risk concerns that can affect corporate brands and that companies should also manage for risk. The list of considerations is long: the ability of suppliers to protect your confidential information, the second tier of suppliers…