As business continues to become increastingly global, the definition of end-to-end is changing. Companies formerly thought of processes like procure-to-pay as internal only. However, as supply chains stretch further around the globe, they are fast realizing that it has greater strategic promise. And they are using the more accurate term source-to-settle to describe a process…
U.K.-based Marine Transport International, a freight forwarder company, has begun to offer shippers the use of blockchain for their digital ledger data, as the platform sees adoption beyond the financial services sector. Among other things, the company says blockhain will remove much of the bureaucratic waste and costs associated with the communication of supply chain-…
Acquisitions used to be closely guarded events held behind closed doors with severe penalties for any leakages to even news organizations. Not anymore. The semiconductor industry has known for several weeks now that Qualcomm Inc. wants to buy Dutch chipmaker NXP Semiconductor N.V. A deal could be announced this week, turning Qualcomm overnight into the…
Just a week after the fifth anniversary of his untimely passing, Steve Jobs made an appearance — at least in spirit — at the U.S. Supreme Court. I was attending the oral argument in the patent suit between Apple and Samsung[1], and as I watched the arguments unfold, I was reminded several times of Mr.…
Bitcoin has gone beyond being a tool for geeks to trade money. Now, cryptocurrency and related technologies are set to enable new types of contracts and business dealings in financial services. The market is poised for stellar growth. A new market research report published by MarketsandMarkets estimates that the blockchain technology market will grow from…
Two of the major personal electronics giants have had an interesting year. Apple's smart-watch business never took off, though that's an industry-wide phenomenon, and the expected new i-Phone 7 release turned into a minor polishing of the i-Phone 6. Add to that, indications are that we may have a peaking smart-phone market, while Apple is…
The high-tech industry should be a leader in understanding the needs for, and deriving benefits from, a complete digital transformation. However, new evidence suggests that few in this industry are generating financial success from their extensive digital investments. Many high-tech companies are embracing cloud, analytics, or mobile platforms to drive greater efficiencies to become more…
It's true that necessity is the mother of invention. Creativity, though, is the father, and knowledge is the midwife. As people, we are wired for survival. When we are in tough times, our creativity and persistent shine through. By staying focused and thinking creatively, we can come up with solutions and take advantage of…
The U.S. semiconductor industry business cycle, which typically lasts seven to eight years, has come to an end. For a variety of reasons, I believe that the U.S. stock market will decline rapidly in the near future, to the detriment of the semiconductor industry. Whoever is elected in November, will have a hard job ahead…
The economic outlook is rosy and procurement and supply chain are continuing to rise in importance in many manufacturing organizations, according to the Purchasing and Manufacturing Survey from manufacturing buying group Prime Advantage. “From our first glance at the survey result, we saw good news and plenty of positive results,” Mike McDonald, vice president, business…