Chinese New Year is signaling an increase in transpacific freight, but retailers are bracing for potential supply chain disruptions over threats of a worker strike at gulf and east coast ports. Though talks made progress in December, when an earlier strike was avoided between the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) and the International Longshoremen’s AssociationRead… Read more »
The start of a new year usually signifies a time for reflection on where we’ve been and where we’re headed, and nowhere is that disparity more glaringly apparent than in the technology sector. A decade ago, a business traveler had to collect receipts, pull up Excel and spend an afternoon keying up an expense reportRead… Read more »
IT budgets on college campuses are like anywhere else: Tight and getting tighter. Still, more schools reported in an annual study that they’re continuing to invest in technology, with 25 percent planning to upgrade or replace their Enterprise Resource Planning systems for asset management, expense management, invoice management and other functions in the next twoRead… Read more »
It’s impossible to find a bigger retail giant than Wal-Mart. Without question, the chain is a mainstay across the United States, with a supercenter on almost every street corner. Americans love a good deal and, more often than not, they turn to their local Wal-Mart store for just that – to the tune of $444Read… Read more »
Noted business analyst Andrew Bartolini recently released his annual report on the effectiveness of procurement organizations. The results, as they have pretty much every year, showed continued cause for concern. They also offer another compelling case for automated e-procurement solutions. The bottom line: Bartolini’s survey of nearly 270 procurement leaders found just 62 percent ofRead… Read more »
While business travel is expected to pick up in 2013, it appears that trends for corporate events, such as meetings and conferences, are shifting to reflect new economic realities. The Active Network recently published a study which followed meeting planning patterns from 2008-2012, and showed a distinct change in how companies approach organizing corporate gatherings.Read… Read more »
At some point in the past decade, society entered what I’ll call the “Age of Now.” Instant gratification is not a new concept, of course. According to Wikipedia (our favorite modern shortcut to learning things nowinstead of doing actual research), pizza delivery began in Naples way back in the 1800s. Florists have offered same-day deliveryRead… Read more »
Though Europe has led the charge toward mandating electronic invoice management for private and public organizations, e-invoicing has been gaining rapid ground in South America as well. Ecuador has now joined the ranks of countries looking to cut costs and improve services through implementation of an electronic invoice management system, following a pilot program whichRead… Read more »
2011 witnessed an increase in backsourcing, which included severing ties with offshore contractors and returning business operations to domestic and local spheres, or even entirely in-house. That trend is continuing even into 2013 as American manufacturing is being reinvigorated by supply chain management concerns that are bringing more positions back home. The individual circumstances behindRead… Read more »
It’s the time of year when consumers are inundated with jewelry and flower commercials, stores are stocked with plenty of pink and red merchandise, and restaurant bookings hit max capacity. Valentine’s Day is one of the holidays that truly helps test logistics and supply chain management, but few companies are taking their sourcing as seriouslyRead… Read more »