CES 2019 was a white-knuckle roller-coaster of a ride, with some game-changing technology already here and more on the horizon. Here are my top 10 takeaways from the press days, the keynotes, and the time I spent with the exhibitors and innovators on the show floor. Of course, it’s impossible to see everything. The…
Procurement technology to date has been populated by big-budget systems and suites that cause more problems than they fix. It’s an unpleasant workflow for users of all backgrounds, and with inaccessible and rigid user interfaces, it still does not give users a developed and realized view into their spend culture. These systems lack specifically in…
Sixty percent of companies make offshore-sourcing decisions based on rudimentary metrics, such as wage rate, ex-works price or landed cost, often resulting in a 15 to 30 percent understatement of actual offshoring costs. Inclusion of all relevant factors—overhead, balance sheet, risks, corporate strategy and other external and internal business considerations—provides a better determination of the…
It’s now six months since new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) came into force, putting organisations involved in handling data under unprecedented pressure to comply with a brand-new regulatory landscape. However, even organisations who think they’re on top of this area are at risk of falling foul – and making a mistake could cost your…
Electronics manufacturers are asking for more sustainability data from suppliers as the meaning of Corporate Social Responsibility extends further up and down the supply chain. These conversations are opportunities to manage greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a potentially significant source: freight transportation. From materials-sourcing to manufacturing, distribution, take-back, and recycling, transportation-related GHG emissions data can…
Few businesses can be considered non-profit organizations. At its most basic, the electronics business is about being paid. Companies that don’t get paid don’t stay around too long and late payments can hinder an organization’s business operations. The accounts receivable (AR) process revolves around the invoice – pulling it together internally, sending it out to…
If one of your supply chain partners suffers a debilitating disruption, how quickly can it recover? A healthy company should have the working capital on hand to take immediate financial action. Determining the overall health of a company is far more complex than simply looking at revenues and profits. Equally important, especially for investors, is a…
“Winter is Coming” is a saying in The North, one of the seven Kingdoms in Westeros, the fantasy kingdom in Game of Thrones. It is a reminder and a warning. Westeros is subject to climate cycles. During the cold portion of the cycle, a bitter cold winter arrives, especially devastating in The North. “Winter is…
The causes, effects and implications of “The Great Component Shortage of 2018” have been thoroughly analyzed. The automotive and IoT industries have been driving unprecedented demand for smaller and more efficient passive electronics, which in turn has stretched lead times for these once- commoditized components to the breaking point. What hasn’t been discussed, however, is the equal…
This is the second article in a two-part series The Industry 4.0 revolution is enabling new levels of automation, including a new generation of sensors-rich automated guided vehicles (AGVs) for use in the first wave of smart manufacturing and distribution facilities. This revolution also requires new ways of thinking across all aspects of materials handling, especially…