Earlier this week, the Indian news publication The Economic Times caused quite a stir among information technologies services suppliers, especially those in India. The article quoted a source close to the retail company Proctor & Gamble, and claimed that the company intended to begin reductions in outsourcing. Most of the speculation surrounded a $3 billion…
As LED lighting technology becomes less expensive and offers higher quality, businesses are expected to favor this energy-efficient solution greatly over traditional lighting sources, such as incandescent bulbs, fluorescent, or high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting. In fact, a new study just released by Navigant Research predicts the LED industry will grow from its current $1.5 billion…
Private equity firms in the U.S. are optimistic about 2013, and are ready to boost their spending budgets on more mergers and acquisitions, according to the 2013 McGladrey Private Equity Survey. The survey included 125 private equity firms. The results concluded that 77 percent of these firms are optimistic about their own economic futures. Only…
The European Union, the United States, and the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) have all responded with outrage at the poor working conditions, shoddy construction standards, and general incompetence of Bangladeshi authorities which led to the factory collapse that killed over 400 garment manufacturing workers last month. Until now, Bangladesh has enjoyed free access to European…
Truckers have a saying, “If you’ve got it, a trucker brought it.” To a large extent, this is true. Many finished products take several truck rides, beginning when the raw materials are brought to the supplier, then when the supplier sends parts to the manufacturer, again when the manufacturer ships the product to a distribution…
According to a new survey released by international research firm PwC, the financial industry needs to change its policies regarding upcoming talent or face a serious talent shortage in the years to come. The survey indicated that 55 percent of recent graduates (workers born since 1980) made compromises when they accepted jobs during the height…
As tensions build on the Korean peninsula, the electronics industry is making preparations for possible shutdowns of large-scale electronics suppliers in South Korea. In our current supply chain, halting production of parts and components in any one region of the world seriously hinders the whole industry’s ability to meet consumer demands for products. While war…
On April 24, an 8-story factory just outside Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, collapsed, killing 380 workers and injuring many more. Suppliers for several fashion retailers were leasing space in the building, including Primark (a subsidiary of Associated British Foods), Loblaws, Matalan, and Bonmarche. The building was known as the Rana Plaza complex. One…
The trucking industry is always a good indicator of economic growth because home building and consumer purchasing directly affect how many tons of goods are shipped each quarter. The American Trucking Association (ATA) publishes a seasonally adjusted (SA) and non-seasonally adjusted report illustrating the amount of freight the trucking industry is shipping. According to the…
Businesses build a number of vendor relationships over time, and it’s easy to stick with the same one for year after year, even when they’re not meeting your needs. Ask yourself these questions to determine if it might be time for a change.