The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for families in the U.S. who don’t have the resources to buy sufficient groceries. The program is getting an upgrade in 2017 with the introduction of online grocery shopping. Starting in the summer of 2017, some program participants…
Award-winning U.S. procurement firm, GEP recently released their Strategic Sourcing and Procurement Outlook trend report for 2013. The report outlines eight key trends that will impact procurement strategies this year, along with a market outlook of eight major sectors.
Consumers who buy value-priced burgers in UK supermarkets may get more than beef between their bread according to tests by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Because of the low price of the burgers, the mixture must contain at least 47% real meat, but there are other laws that…
Achieving a perfect balance between supply and demand is one of the biggest challenges of supply chain management and business operations. From pharmaceuticals to renewable energy, supply and demand affects everyone, regardless of industry.
Since the launch of the first iPhone in 2007, Apple has led the mobile technology market. Apple stocks, however, dropped to the lowest point in 11 months after the company cut supply orders for this quarter. Increased competition is one likely cause of the iPhone 5’s less-than-forecasted demand, but there are several other speculations. The…
Government corruption and procurement fraud are concerns for nations around the world, but for some countries, an effective and transparent public procurement system is even more of a challenge. Tanzania’s war against corruption is an ongoing battle that the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) and the World Bank have fought for more than 15 years.
Electronic invoicing is becoming the norm in modern procurement systems. Business-to-business companies, as well as those serving consumers, are already regularly using e-invoices and electronic receipts. Many government agencies, however, are still not making full use of this convenient strategy.
On January 9, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced in a press release that increased demand for air cargo could mean a brighter future for the air freight industry. Air freight volumes seen a 1.6% increase over the previous year in November, 2012. At the same time, the wait time for Apple’s iPhone 5…
Globalization, collaborative planning, and new technologies are changing the way companies manage their supply chains this year. Most modern advancements make it easier to develop an effective supply chain strategy, but 3D printing has the potential to completely change the way consumers shop and, more importantly, it could change the way companies do business.