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Business Strategy Alignment: Page 498

Why Japanese Products May Be Unknown to Many Consumers in Emerging Markets

If you're a consumer in one of the world's developed economies and you think that Japan is full of powerhouse exporters, you're right. Hitachi, Panasonic, Sony, Toyota - many Japanese multinationals became household names in the second half of the 20th century. If you're a consumer in an emerging market, though, you probably don't view Japanese companies the same way. In fact, it's possible that you have never used a product made by one of those giants.

The 'Lean' Journey Is 'Fragile' But Highly 'Necessary'

This year, Vermeer Corp. is celebrating the 15th anniversary of its lean journey, a remarkable milestone given one of the words President and CEO Mary Andringa uses to describe the continuous-improvement methodology. "Fragile" is the word.

Could It Be That Employers Don't Know How to Look for Good Talent?

In Wharton management professor Peter Cappelli's most recent book - Why Good People Can't Get Jobs: The Skills Gap and What Companies Can Do About It - he debunks the oft-repeated argument from employers that applicants don't have the skills needed for today's jobs. Instead, he puts much of the blame on companies themselves, including their lack of information about hiring and training costs, and on computerized applicant tracking systems that can make it harder, not easier, to find qualified job candidates.

Social Commerce Is Important to Retail, But It's About Much More than Having a Facebook Page

Mobility is important to retailers, but it is not mobility for the sake of mobility. Instead, the focus is convergence of e-commerce, mobility and social. And despite the doomsayers on the concepts of social commerce, the greatest increase in the intended use of mobile is to fuel efforts in social commerce.

Social Media Can Report on Health of Your Product Quicker than Traditional Metrics Can

You can learn a lot by monitoring consumer conversations in social media. It can predict political elections, the Oscars and even the next reality show winner. If you are a CPG marketer, social media can also be a real-time predictor of your new product's success.

Positive Growth Predicted for Commercial Trucks Powered by Natural Gas

Over the next five years, the natural gas heavy-duty commercial vehicle market is set to experience rapid growth in North America.

Indonesia Becomes More and More Attractive Place to Do Business

The Indonesian economy has surged forward to its highest level in years. While growth is expected to be 6.1 percent in 2012, on June 7 the Jakarta Globe reported the government reckons it to be 7.2 percent next year. (World Bank estimates previously had suggested 6.4% growth in GDP in 2013.)

Ex-Im Bank Approves More Than $170M in Export Financing for Aeromexico

The board of directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States has approved two final commitments aggregating $171m in export financing for Aerovias de Mexico S.A. de C.V., or AeromÃƒÂ©xico, the country's largest airline. This transaction effectively triples Ex-Im support for Mexican aviation companies purchasing goods and services from U.S. companies.

CPG Group Launches Online Collaborative Platform for Members Worldwide

The Consumer Goods Forum has created what it calls the first professional online network of the retail and consumer goods industry. The purpose is enable the group's mission to facilitate industry-wide collaboration and to enable members to work together by serving shoppers, consumers and communities better, faster, with greater value and more responsibly.

Reducing Overall Supply Chain Costs is #1 Priority Among Manufacturers, Survey Finds

Eighty percent of manufacturers responding to a recent survey rate reducing overall supply chain costs as the number one supply chain priority in the coming year, according to IDC Manufacturing Insights. Nearly 55 percent suggest supply chain agility is second and 52 percent suggest improving product quality and safety is the third-most important priority.

Medical Tech Companies Developing Customized Growth Strategies Emerging Markets, Report Finds

Medical technology companies looking to grow globally are finding that one approach does not fit all markets, and they are developing customized growth strategies to penetrate emerging markets, with products tailored to unique local market needs. The challenge is that companies are also finding that limited visibility into globalized manufacturing and distribution chains is leading to increased risk, according to a study co-sponsored by PwC US and published by Axendia, a life sciences and healthcare advisory firm.

Pennsylvania Could Tax Cloud Sales, Depending On Where The Server Is

Just when you thought cloud computing couldn't get any more complicated and fraught with hidden gotchas, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue has jumped in to sprinkle taxation magic on your cloud business cases. What the Keystone State did - and other states are likely to follow - doesn't make cloud any less profitable, but the specifics of the cloud deployment could now impact tax costs.

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