Op-Ed Piece Questions Whether the U.S. is Ready to Undertake Problems Associated with Renewable Energy

Op-Ed Piece Questions Whether the U.S. is Ready to Undertake Problems Associated with Renewable Energy

According to Avid Garman and Samuel Thernstrom in their op-ed piece for the Wall Street Journal, Europe’s use of renewable energy resources such as wind and solar power by far exceeds the use of green energy in the U.S. America’s currently generates 3.5 percent of their energy from wind and solar sources while Denmark has,…

Union Pacific Shows Huge Gains, Even as Rail Freight Remains Relatively Flat

Union Pacific Shows Huge Gains, Even as Rail Freight Remains Relatively Flat

Overall, the economy was relatively flat during the first two quarters of 2013, with an estimated GDP growth of just 1.5 percent. Rail profits in all rose just .8 percent, yet Union Pacific managed to secure a strong growth of 10.4 percent, nearly beating their record profits in year over year gains. Overall load volumes…

Watchdog Group Makes Alligations That Apple’s Chinese Suppliers are Violating Labor and Environmental Laws

Watchdog Group Makes Alligations That Apple’s Chinese Suppliers are Violating Labor and Environmental Laws

Computer giant Apple is once again forced to examine its supply chain, particularly in China. Earlier this year, Apple introduced its Supplier Responsibility Program report, one of the most transparent reports on a company’s suppliers to date. Their own report revealed labor rights violations in addition to 150 instances of suppliers mishandling the hazardous waste…

Commerce One: What Went Wrong With This Supply Upstart?
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Commerce One: What Went Wrong With This Supply Upstart?

In 2000, Commerce One was to take the e-commerce market handily. Competitor Ariba was the only perceived rival, as IBM, Microsoft, and Oracle weren’t yet major players. The world had survived Y2K and the dot coms were taking over, the perfect playground for Commerce One to grow and prosper. So, what happened? What can we learn…

U.S. Manufacturing Recovering from Spring Slump

U.S. Manufacturing Recovering from Spring Slump

Lackluster numbers in the spring have rebounded into a stronger industrial production outlook for the second half of 2013, according to analysts. The Federal Reserve reported industrial production was up .3 percent for June, which was on par with expectations. The numbers fell that much in April, and the manufacturing industry experienced no growth during…

Survey Shows Interesting Results in Salaries for Procurement Professionals

Survey Shows Interesting Results in Salaries for Procurement Professionals

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) just released their annual study regarding pay for professionals within the supply chain. Overall, salaries (including regular pay and bonuses, but excluding the value of benefits packages) were up slightly for the year 2012. The average salary for professionals in the supply chain was $103,700. There was a 6.7…

Companies Scramble for Supply Chain Talent as Schools Vamp Up Programs to Crank Graduates Out

Companies Scramble for Supply Chain Talent as Schools Vamp Up Programs to Crank Graduates Out

Just a few years ago, few schools even offered a graduate or undergraduate program in supply chain management, and most businesses were unaware of how much these skilled workers would be in demand in such a short time. According to a new article by Supply Chain News, supply chain managers are quickly becoming as important…

How the Economy is Derailing Green Initiatives in Manufacturing

How the Economy is Derailing Green Initiatives in Manufacturing

In most cases, green initiatives cost more to implement than traditional methods of manufacturing. It’s one thing to make green decisions when you’re building from scratch, but most established businesses are holding off on new construction and expansion until it’s clear how the economic recovery is going to hold up. Converting power sources to alternatives…

When It Comes to Risk, Most Executives Aren’t Practicing What They Preach

When It Comes to Risk, Most Executives Aren’t Practicing What They Preach

For some time now, it’s been apparent how important it is for companies to assess their risks within the supply chain and create contingency plans to continue operations in the event of an unforseen break down. However, in a new survey by the American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC), fully three-quarters of large companies aren’t taking…