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Global Supply Chain Management: Page 820

Using CRM Data to Defend Against Customer Lawsuits

If a customer slips and falls in a large box store and then decides to sue the store, it would certainly be appropriate for the retailer to examine the videotapes relating to the slip and fall, see whether the customer did - in fact - fall, observe how that person was behaving before the fall and afterward, and determine what the condition of the floor was at the time of the incident.

You Need to Create Lean Value Streams

Analyst Insight: 2011 marked a watershed year in the way supply chain managers conceived of global practice. Natural disasters that shook up traditional global sourcing coupled with a growing willingness to rethink the value of lowest piece-part pricing led companies to reassess what it means to operate efficient, effective supply chains. Companies are rethinking and reconfiguring supply chains to be more rational, regional, practical, low in total cost and risk, and high in fostering quality and customer value - moving toward rational, lean value streams. - John Shook, chairman and CEO, Lean Enterprise Institute

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Geographic Concentration Risks in the High-Tech Supply Chain

Analyst Insight: It is common for high-tech companies to have established processes to ensure they are not overly dependent on too few suppliers. Far less common are processes or intelligence to ensure they are not overly dependent on a specific geographic region. But recent events have pushed the issue of risks from geographic concentration of the supply base to the forefront. - Bill McBeath, Chief Research Officer, ChainLink Research

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A Model for Tomorrow's Supply Chain Leadership

Analyst Insight: Supply chain organizations over the past several decades have experienced the structural pendulum as it has swung from one extreme of specialization and parallel silos of expertise to another of all generalists with relatively limited experience in a number of organizations. New findings from a number of highly regarded supply chain organizations and research enterprises show the need for a balanced approach of specialists and generalists for truly world-class performance. - Michael G. Hasler, Ph.D., The University of Texas

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Single Border Portal Tops Importers' Wish List

With dozens of federal agencies having some degree of involvement in the cargo clearance process, importers are crying out for a single government portal at the border.

Spend Analysis Has Improved Greatly, But We Still Need Better, More Complete Data

Modern spend analysis systems are capable of incorporating a huge variety of types and sources of data - everything from supplier data to contracts, purchasing transactional data, financial data, risk data, and much more. However, the power of these systems is often limited by the availability, completeness, and quality of spend-related data from source systems.

Food & Beverage Technology: It's Cold, It's Safe - and It's Got ROI

Analyst Insight: The generally low-margin and high-waste food & beverage sectors will continue to increase their technology investments in 2012. Traceability, quality and fulfillment technologies are emerging with strong ROI, though compliance and traceability get much of the attention. No doubt global regulations on food safety may be somewhat of a catalyst, but companies say that the benefits are what really drive their investments. - Ann Grackin, CEO, ChainLink Research

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Food & Beverage Traceability Impacts Brand, Consumer Safety

Analyst Insight: Food and beverage manufacturers have the distinct advantage (or detriment, depending on how you view it) of often having direct access to the customer. In today's more open, collaborative, social world this can reap major benefits of understanding one's customer base and responding to its needs. On the flip side, food and beverage manufacturers are susceptible to a major downfall simply from minor issues across its supply chain. Open or not, it's the new reality. - Simon Ellis, practice director, Supply Chain Strategies, IDC Manufacturing Insights

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Twitter Co-Founder Biz Stone to Deliver Keynote at GS1 Connect Conference

IMO Adopts Guidelines for Mandatory Energy Efficiency Measures in International Shipping

An important series of guidelines to support the uniform implementation of mandatory measures to increase energy efficiency and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from international shipping was adopted by the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), when it met for its 63rd session from Feb. 27 to March 2, 2012, at IMO Headquarters in London, paving the way for the regulations to be smoothly and uniformly implemented by Administrations and industry.

Defining Consumer-Driven Processes in CPG Industry

Analyst Insight: While 95 percent of consumer products companies talk about building the end-to-end supply chain extending from the customer's customer to the supplier's supplier, most of it today is only lip service. Why? The processes that made the CP company strong are the very same processes that need to change to drive growth, improve supply chain resiliency and power market share. - Lora Cecere, partner, Altimeter Group

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Mix of Benefits, Additional Costs Flow from 'Green' Procurement

Analyst Insight: In recent years, an increasing number of organizations have sought to make their supply chains more environmentally friendly. According to APQC's Open Standards Benchmarking in procurement, 48 percent of organizations initiated "green" procurement policies as of fall 2011. As organizations feel more pressure to monitor their environmental impact, they must consider the potential effect of enacting green procurement policies on their bottom line. - Becky Partida, knowledge specialist, APQC

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Photo: iStock/Anastasiia Yanishevska

How a Leading U.S. Floral Distribution Company Reduced Warehouse Labor Costs by 45% with RFID

Recycled Tagging Fasteners: Small Changes Make a Big Impact

Mobile geolocation service for track delivery, cargo shipment and freight transportation. Logistic Import Export business (Elements of this image furnished by NASA)

Enhancing High-Value Electronics Shipment Security with Tive's Real-Time Tracking

Franchise business e-commerce online e-marketplace or digital marketing branch expansion for growth or use technology to analyze product consumer data website management plan for sale service concept.

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