The dream of supply chain management is something that runs like clockwork, but the real world usually presents a different reality. If supply chains were always predictable, Excel would be the perfect tool. However, more often than not something will go wrong. You can prepare for one scenario, but another one can always take you…
SAN FRANCISCO—Apple Inc. returned to growth in the quarter ended Dec. 31 following three consecutive quarters of sales declines. The company’s record quarterly revenue was lifted by strong iPhone sales, paced by strong demand for the iPhone 7+. While both iPhone and Mac sales fared better than expected, sales of iPads and declined versus the…
The ability of a break-through technology like blockchain deliver unprecedented possibilities for supply chain reform in electronics and other industries. It has the capacity to securely chronologize and record not only trade and currency flows but virtually any business process or documentation. In fourth quarter, 2016, 31% of 400 executives surveyed by EfT said that…
January 1, 2017 marked the date when the World Customs Organization (WCO) Harmonized System (HS) reform went into effect for many locations. The HS is an international classification standard for goods in current or anticipated use by more than 207 custom administrations worldwide. It is critical for ensuring customs rules are properly followed, improving the…
SAN FRANCISCO—Intel Corp. Thursday (Jan. 26) reported fourth quarter 2016 revenue and profit that beat analysts’ expectations on sales growth in computing, data center chips and Internet of Things (IoT) chips. The company also delivered a forecast for the first quarter that exceeded Wall Street’s expectations and announced it would increase its capital spending outlay…
If there’s any lesson we should have learned from our presidential election, it’s that we should not jump to conclusions based on our own possibly faulty assumptions. So I’ll stick to facts and avoid speculation about the report that Foxconn, a major supplier to Apple, is considering a $7 billion factory in the United States.…
Google's recent announcement about its “100% renewable” goal follows similar claims by Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, and other tech giants about reducing their reliance on fossil fuel for their power-hungry supply chains. Their push towards renewable energy for their energy needs largely reflects how prices are plummeting for solar and wind power. The good news is…
Here is what we know: At most companies, products reach customers through a very standardized process that looks like this: If no disruption occurs, the gap between supply and demand is minimal and everything goes well. It works in theory, but if you’ve worked in the supply chain long enough, you already know it often…
From talks of an autonomous supply chain and the era of the robots to the internet of all things revolution, supply chain management in 2016 required businesses to commit to a continuous innovative improvement process with customers at the forefront of all initiatives. To this end, creating a more customer-centric supply chain in 2017 will…
Dr. Ravi Batra, a professor of economics at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, has made a great career from his uncanny forecasts. He started making predictions in 1978 when he wrote a book called The Downfall of Capitalism and Communism, which predicted the fall of Soviet Communism by the end of the century, and the…