Shula Neuman
New research has confirmed the market’s link of suppliers and customers across industries. When good fortune smiles on a company, the stock market responds by valuing the firm more favorably. It’s well known that good news for one firm means other companies in the same industry will be affected as well. But according to new research from business professors at Washington University in St. Louis, The Ohio State University and University of Rochester, we can anticipate something else that isn’t as obvious: there’s also a predictable connection between news announcements of a company and its suppliers or customers.
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Integrated payment solutions leader Payment Processing, Incorporated (PPI), has announced a partnership with supply chain management software developer ASC, Inc., to offer a comprehensive POS and e-commerce solution.

ASC’s partnership with PPI offers ASC Trac customers a safe, secure and reliable payment processing solution that integrates seamlessly with the ACS solution. The combined solution has demonstrated capabilities for high volume credit card transactions in mission critical environments. (more…)

Oracle customers worldwide can now extend the capabilities of Oracle’s existing Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) suite through the two new modules, Oracle Strategic Network Optimization and Oracle Production Scheduling. Through a long-awaited marriage of Oracle’s JD Edwards and PeopleSoft Supply Chain Planning suite with Oracle’s Supply Chain Management applications, manufacturing companies can now optimize supply and distribution networks, mitigate risk, maximize shop floor throughput and dramatically reduce supply chain costs.
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Manufacturers can gain competitive advantage within the supply chain through product design and lifecycle management strategies

Quite often a small- or medium-sized business (SMB) that is looking to gain a competitive advantage within its supply chain will do so by improving its products and streamlining operations. Decision makers often look toward product design technology such as product lifecycle management (PLM) to support these changes. By implementing a product lifecycle management system, companies can simplify and shorten each phase of the product development process. Selecting new technology is a challenge for any organization but can be especially difficult for the SMB, since most software (particularly PLM software) is designed to meet the needs of a large enterprise. (more…)

Alcoa Inc.’s mile-long rolling mill south of Budapest seems like a throwback to the Soviet era. The sun struggles to penetrate smudged skylights. Massive Russian-made machines from the 1960s grind away amid clouds of steam. Forklifts the size of flatbed trucks rumble by, stacking coils of aluminum sheeting like giant rolls of toilet paper. (more…)

Alan Greenspan, the former chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, aimed sharp barbs recently at the Sarbanes-Oxley Act governing U.S. public companies.
Greenspan, who stepped down from his role at the Federal Reserve in January after 18 years, was the keynote speaker at AMR Research Inc.’s Executive Leadership Conference in Boston. In a wide-ranging look at the U.S. and global economies, Greenspan gave his take on the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation, which was implemented in the wake of major corporate accounting scandals.
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Written by CSCO Editors
Thursday, 05 October 2006

When it comes to taking a disciplined approach to reducing defects in manufacturing, many companies may say they are practicing Six Sigma, yet few are actually doing it as rigorously as they should be. That’s according to a new report from the Boston-based IT research firm Aberdeen Group, which also says that companies that fully implement Six Sigma produce on average 40 percent more savings than other companies, including those that say they are implementing Six Sigma.
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Does your supply chain strategy include Mexico? It should!
By Al Brown, president of SupplyMex
Purchasing November 16, 2006

Mexico’s position as a world-class manufacturer of moderate to high value-added goods continues to strengthen. Mexico offers a strategic competitive advantage over other Low Cost Countries in the world. It shares a 2,000 mile border with the U.S., offers a highly developed logistics infrastructure that facilitates global trade, has 12 free trade agreements with 42 countries, a stable currency and economy, a healthy climate for investment and a strong competitive labor force. These factors make Mexico a logical choice for sourcing and OEM outsourcing supply chain strategies.
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By (Chris) Jacob Abraham, Nov 15, 2006, @ SupplyChainManagement

Logistics Management has a new article titled – How does your warehouse stack up? by Maida Napolitano. The survey was conducted jointly by Logistics Management and Gross & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in materials handling and logistics – First Annual Warehousing Trends Survey.

The survey was designed to help today’s warehouse managers get a clearer picture of the challenges they face today and give them an opportunity to see how their warehouse operations compare with the industry average.
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Quit Giving It Away! The quickest way to lose margin and money? Pricing quotes.By Louis Columbus

Manufacturers are leaving money on the table by not paying attention to bringing more accurate and timely pricing into their quotes.

In discussions with dozens of manufacturers, a simple truth emerges: Quoting systems, even the most manual, are the lifeblood of any sales pipeline. Pricing has become the competitive weapon of choice in many industries; however, it’s the last differentiator in several consolidating markets.
With such a critical role in defining profitability, pricing is getting much attention this year, from the CEO level down.
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John D. Schulz, Contributing Editor
Logistics Management November 14, 2006

WASHINGTON—Longer and heavier trucks may be out. Environmental issues may be in, and more physical inspection of air cargo could be in as well. Labor may get a friendly ear in Washington again. And, some might be working for more freight security measures.

The first session of the 110th Congress that convenes on January 3 will be the first since 1994 in which Democrats control both the House of Representatives and Senate. Business, transportation, logistics, and lobbying interests are spending their hours until then dusting off the “D” section of their Rolodexes—renewing old ties with Democrats, who are back in power in Washington.
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New Aberdeen study confirms that companies with the best supplier visibility and performance measurement programs outperform the rest of the pack.
By Sudy Bharadwaj, Supply Chain Management Review, October 2006

Efforts to cut costs have put a strain on supply chains today. Techniques such as low-cost country sourcing and the outsourcing of manufacturing and other services have extended the global supply chain—and in the process have opened up the enterprise to new risks and challenges. Principal among these is the increased potential for supply chain disruption and variability.
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