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CFO focus on savings 'does procurement a huge disservice' Supply Management Share     Finance chiefs need to come up with broader measures of procurement's performance rather than just focusing on savings. Research from supply management consultancy Ardent Partners found the relationship between procurement and finance heads continues to be inconsistent and less effective than it could be. The study said both functions often work with different definitions of what savings are and how they can be measured. More
ISM and ADR North America announce training location in Shanghai, China ISM Share
Institute for Supply Management, in conjunction with ADR, has extended its global reach by opening a training office in Shanghai, China. A new joint venture firm, ADR-ISM Supply Management Consulting, specializes in customized in-company training, consulting and Development Needs Analysis learning assessments. The Shanghai location allows ADR-ISM to better serve multinational organizations with operations in China, as well as Chinese companies. ADR-ISM instructors are located in China, bringing professional and local expertise to their clients. More Nations expand food stockpiles, subsidies Bloomberg Businessweek Share
Governments worldwide will increase their role in global food markets, and boost stockpiles and subsidies or impose trade curbs to head off the protests that have rippled through the Middle East, commodity traders said. Countries across Africa to Asia are increasing imports or releasing supply from state reserves to cool inflation as rising demand and adverse weather cuts harvests and pushes food prices to a record. More
Durable goods orders, excluding airplanes, drop The Associated Press via Google News Share
Orders for long-lasting manufactured goods outside of transportation fell in January by the largest amount in two years. Orders for durable goods, excluding transportation, fell 3.6 percent, the biggest drop since January 2009, the U.S. Commerce Department reported. Total durable goods orders rose 2.7 percent, but that increase was driven by a huge rebound in orders for commercial aircraft, an extremely volatile category. More Europe services, manufacturing expand at fastest pace in 4 years Bloomberg Businessweek Share
Growth in Europe's services and manufacturing industries accelerated to the fastest pace in more than four years in February. A composite index based on a survey of euro-area purchasing managers in the 17-nation euro region in both industries rose to 58.4 from 57 in January, London-based Markit Economics said in an initial estimate. That was the highest since July 2006 and above the 56.9 forecast by economists in a Bloomberg News survey. More
Pharmacology supply chain underused, inefficient, ill-equipped Pharmaceutical Technology Share
Pharmacology's manufacturing and supply chain needs a "radical overhaul" because it is underused, inefficient and ill-equipped to cope with new types of products that will be coming to market in the near future, according to a report from PwC. The report highlights trends that will impact supply chains, including new product types resulting from advances in nanotechnology, tissue re-engineering, stem cell research and other innovations. These changes will require more complex manufacturing and distribution processes, and the products will have a shorter shelf life. More Chintzy T-shirts and fake pockets hot in 2011 CNNMoney Share
As cotton prices keep setting records, clothing sellers are challenged to do everything they can to avoid passing the cost on to shoppers. If they raise prices, they risk losing their customers. "T-shirts may get thinner," said Chris Callieri, principal with A.T. Kearney's retail and consumer practice. Another creative tweak is using "fake" pockets. The cotton crunch is also bringing back the go-to fabric of the '70s — polyester. More
Middle East turmoil forces shippers to address supply chain vulnerabilities Procurement Leaders Share
The recent political turmoil spreading through the Middle East and North Africa should force the international shipping industry to re-evaluate supply chain vulnerabilities, experts warn. The unrest is shining a spotlight on the risks to international trade posed by the industry's reliance on a small number of vital transportation channels which facilitate global trade. More Panama Canal preparations under full sail Logistics Management Share
The Panama Canal expansion — expected to be complete by 2014 — has seaports throughout the Northern Hemisphere readying for a new competitive landscape. For most, that means offering value-added services designed to move inbound goods faster than ever before. Here's where the preparations currently stand. More Japan to spend $1.3 billion to cut rare earth usage Bloomberg Share
Japan's government and more than 100 companies, including Hitachi Metals Ltd. and Toyota Motor Corp., plan to spend $1.3 billion on facilities to reduce the nation's reliance on rare earth imports. Japan, the world's largest rare earth importer, is seeking to cut its use by one-third, or 10,000 metric tons a year, to reduce its reliance on Chinese supplies. The nation is also stepping up efforts to invest in overseas mines after China's export restrictions increased tension between the two nations in 2010. More Plant-based ketchup bottles going green The Independent Share
Coca-Cola says it hopes to revolutionize the plastic bottle industry and make it more earth-friendly after announcing a new deal with H.J. Heinz Company. The ketchup maker's adoption of Coca-Cola's PlantBottle technology marks the biggest change to the iconic ketchup bottle since the company first introduced plastic in 1983. The move also brings corporate giants in line with green-minded consumers. More  Kraft braces for inflation's hefty price tag CNNMoney Share
Kraft Foods said it is facing a huge increase in commodity prices, but pledged to shield its customers at the supermarket checkout. The maker of everything from macaroni and cheese to Oreo cookies said rising prices for grains, wheat and rice could add as much as $700 million to $800 million this year to the company's overall costs in North America. To protect customers from having to pay more for its products, Kraft executives said the company would try to shave costs on the business side. At the same time, Kraft has made product packaging changes such as reducing the number of slices in a pack of Kraft Singles cheese. More Related story: Procter & Gamble to raise prices (The Associated Press via Manufacturing.net) |
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