Just because the US Congress has finally agreed on a bill to avert the so-called “fiscal cliff” doesn't mean the economy is out of danger or that industries like the electronics and high-tech markets aren't still in jeopardy from the underlying problems that created the months-long nightmare. In other words, Congress jumped over the “fiscal…
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Two years ago, I became involved with an overseas logistics operation that became so convoluted and required so many changes of hands that tracking and authorizations became a virtual nightmare. It's a scenario that's being repeated even now across the global supply chain. All I wanted was to ship 6,000 cartons of a consumer product…
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With all the changes going on in the world, especially changes linked to the lingering global economic crisis, it may be high time to reassess the effectiveness of your supply chain. Since many companies throughout the value ecosystem are shifting operations, divesting unprofitable units, or refocusing their customer or product strategies, it makes sense for…
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It's not for nothing that 2013 is an odd-numbered year. Most economic and business forecasts for the year are rooted in a combination of hope and fear: hope that actions being taken by governments and enterprises will help revive stumbling economies and businesses, and fear of the many unknowns that could trip up even the…
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The European Union's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) law has forever changed the electronics industry. It has resulted in less hazardous substances being used and safer electronic goods. This law has been so successful it has been mimicked by other countries. China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, India, and the State of California have all followed…
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For much of the past year, supply chain research and analyses have focused on risk management, particularly as it pertains to component shortages related to natural disasters. In mid-December, though, IHS said that chip inventory had built up in the electronics supply chain, and sales momentum had stalled. For high-tech companies, the risk of too…
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Low labor costs and stable oil prices have driven the move to offshore production in industries as diverse as textiles and high technology products for almost 30 years. Since then, it has become an almost universally accepted article of faith that manufacturing in low-labor cost (LLC) countries and shipping to demand markets is the smart…
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We will soon see radio frequency identification (RFID) playing an expanded role in the supply chain. One of the latest developments is the introduction of battery-assisted RFID tags that can be read up to 80 feet away. The distance reduces to about 15 feet if the tag is located on a human in the form…
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A manufacturer without an efficient, flexible, and multi-dimensional supply chain will find itself quickly trailing rivals and in danger of losing market share as competition heats up in the global market, according to {complink 7014|IDC}. The IT consulting firm believes significant changes are afoot for 2013, and companies will find themselves inundated with constantly changing…
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo.– Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW) announced today that it has entered into a Settlement Agreement with E.ON SE (EOAN:GR) and VEBA Electronics LLC relating to certain disputes originating from Arrow’s acquisition of Wyle Electronics from the VEBA Group in August of 2000. Under the Settlement Agreement, E.ON will pay Arrow an aggregate amount of…
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