Chip Makers Continue R&D Spending Streak
Following record-high investments in 2021, chip companies are set to raise their R&D spending 9 percent this year to reach a level of $80.5 billion
Build a Strategy for Rising Cost of Capital
It’s no secret that inflation is on the rise and just about everything is getting more expensive. Unfortunately, that’s a trend that’s likely to continue—so OEMs need to be thinking strategically now about how to manage this curve. Earlier this month, the Labor Department reported that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U)…
Chip Materials at Risk as Russia Invades Ukraine
Odesa is the headquarters of Cryoin Engineering Ltd. and Iceblick, two of three Ukrainian companies that supply the world with 70 percent of the noble gas neon.
Rethinking JIT with Improved Technology
When just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing originated in Japan in the 1970s, resource savings were among the most noticeable benefits.
How China Plus One Diversifies Supply Chain Risk
Trade wars, tariffs and geopolitical concerns have spurred global electronics manufacturers to reassess their strategies regarding China. But rather than abandon the nation entirely, China Plus One is taking hold as a way to diversify supply chain risks. “Trade dynamics with China have changed,” said Vipul Kumar, manager, procurement and supply chain intelligence for business…
Supply Chain Lessons From the Covid-19 Pandemic
It would be hard to overstate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on organizations of practically every type. Industries that were prospering until last year are in bankruptcy now. Customer demand for a wide range of consumer goods has abruptly shifted. Countless public institutions and nonprofit organizations which had been viable until the beginning of…
Coronavirus Mitigation: Focus on the Long Term Now
As the spread of the coronavirus outbreak continues on a meteoric rise, and its toll on human health mounts, the economic effects of the crisis are lining up. Businesses are tasked with several issues to address – guaranteeing the safety of their workers, yet ascertaining operational viability which is now coming under strain given the…
Foxconn ‘Bank’: A New Twist in Supply Chain Financing
Foxconn Technology Co. Ltd is giving a new meaning to the term “full-service-provider.” It is a contract manufacturer, a supplier of a wide range of parts and services to electronics OEMs and, since last year, a provider of critical financing support to suppliers. By setting up a business unit to fund suppliers, Foxconn has cracked…
Plexus Announces $30M Share Repurchase
Plexus Corp. (PLXS), said its board of directors has approved a new stock repurchase program under which the company is authorized to repurchase up to $30 million of its common stock during fiscal 2014. The planned repurchase represents approximately 3 percent of current market capitalization and is expected to be funded with existing cash. The…