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April 30, 2009
Spring Blooms Optimism
Everywhere we look, purveyors of pessimism barrage us with doom and gloom. And while IMT does not shy away from bad news, our job is to filter through the doomsday noise — to stare into the troubling depths and try to determine areas in which they might not be as dreadful as they seem at first glance.
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April 29, 2009
Governments Spur RFID Growth
The total market value of RFID is expected to rise in 2009, driven by government programs such as those involving national identification cards and passports.
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April 28, 2009
Purchasing 2009: Unexpected Opportunities
Businesses today face extraordinary challenges. Yet these troubled times also present opportunities to gain competitive advantage through procurement.
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Risk Management a Top CPO Priority
Financial turmoil and market volatility are pushing risk to the forefront of purchasing officers' concerns. What will this shift in priorities mean for long-term supply chain stability?
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4 Sourcing Strategies During a Downturn
The global recession has added pressure on procurement departments to perform with fewer resources. Consider these four tactics to survive the economic slump.
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Mastering Procurement Contract Management
While recent studies suggest now is a good time for short-term contract negotiations, companies must also strategize for the long-term management of procurement contracts.
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Counterfeit Parts Infiltrate Aerospace Projects
Electrical, military and aerospace industries face a dangerous resurgence: the unintentional use of counterfeit components in place of certified parts.
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Lean Credited for Operational Savings
Increasingly more companies are citing lean and other operational improvement initiatives for helping them respond to the market downturn.
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Hidden Costs of Poor Health
Health-related productivity costs are significantly greater than medical and pharmacy expenditures, according to a major new study.
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Be More Than a Face in the Crowd
Although job seekers benefit from on-the-spot interviews at job fairs, they also face plenty of competition. Here are some tips to avoid being "kept on file."
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Recommended Reading
Globality: Competing with Everyone from Everywhere for Everything introduces the next stage of globalization, where rapidly developing economies around the world are now competing on their own terms.
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April 27, 2009
Weekly Industry Crib Sheet: Automotive News Roundup
Plus a Look at Stricter Toxic Substance Reporting Rules, Los Angeles Port's Increasingly Competitive Rivals and MORE.
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April 24, 2009
Light Friday: The Peter Principle, Pedal Power and Bioengineered Brew...
Plus: Up is Down and Down is Up, NASA's Earth Day Celebration and Free Coffee in Canada.
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April 23, 2009
Global Steel Output Still in Decline
Prices for steel soared to historic highs last year. Now, as the global economy still struggles desperately to find footing, output of the metal continues to mirror the disheartening economic downturn.
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April 22, 2009
New Twist on Labor Negotiations: Bossnapping
There is a journalistic truism that one incident is not necessarily news, and two may be a coincidence, but three similar developments indicate a trend. One particularly scary trend recently: workers holding their bosses hostage to demand better severance.
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April 21, 2009
How Inefficient are Modern Manufacturing Methods?
New analysis from MIT has uncovered some alarming figures that indicate manufacturing methods are "spectacularly inefficient in their use of energy and materials."
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April 20, 2009
Weekly Industry Crib Sheet: Promising Signs Amidst Tough Times
Plus: The EPA last week declared in no uncertain terms that greenhouse gas emissions are putting the public's health at risk, setting the stage for unprecedented action.
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April 17, 2009
Light Friday: What the Bailout Looks Like in $100 Bills...
...Wooden Roadster, Orbital Treadmills, a Solar-Powered City, the Google Crystal Ball and MORE.
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April 16, 2009
U.S. Economy Falling at Slower Rate (is Still an Economy Falling)
The Federal Reserve's snapshot of business conditions around the nation, reported yesterday, suggests that a slide in areas such as manufacturing could be slowing.
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April 15, 2009
Americans Losing Sleep Over Economy
One-third of Americans are suffering from insomnia, affecting worker health and job satisfaction as well as business productivity and turnover rates, a new National Sleep Foundation report has found.
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April 14, 2009
6 Nature-Inspired Innovations
For centuries, scientists and engineers have mined nature for ideas in developing revolutionary new materials, products and processes - a practice that continues today.
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Sustainability Initiatives Spur Green Packaging Growth
Green packaging is on the rise, and experts say this upward trend will continue at least until 2013. Is this the result of consumer demand or brand owners pushing green?
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Scientists Claim Cold Fusion Breakthrough
Researchers at a U.S. Navy laboratory have unveiled what they call "significant" evidence of a potential energy source that supposedly doesn't exist: cold fusion.
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The Jungle in the Workplace
If your office sometimes feels like an animal house, you may not be far off the mark. Several studies show similarities between people functioning in the business world and animals coping in the wild.
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Net-Zero Energy, High-Performance Buildings
The National Science and Technology Council has proposed a framework of new technologies, protocols and practices for the large-scale development of net-zero, high-performance buildings.
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Tips for Improving Product Development
When it comes to having a properly managed product development process, every business can benefit from inspection of its methods and continuous improvement.
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How to Give (and Know You're Giving) Good Customer Service
Good customer service can mean the difference between a solid client base and losing market share. But how do you know if your customer-response channels and retention strategies are doing their job?
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The Long-Distance Job Hunt
As more people look for work among fewer available positions, job seekers may choose to expand their search by considering relocation.
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Recommended Reading
In Dealing with Darwin, management consultant Geoffrey Moore argues that the companies that will win the scarce resources of customer purchases will be those that tie innovation to concrete business goals.
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April 13, 2009
Weekly Industry Crib Sheet: "Good GM"/"Bad GM" Plan Under Consideration
Plus: Treasury Guarantees Auto Supplier Payments, Older Workers Stay Unemployed Longer, Food Safety Progress Plateaus and MORE.
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April 10, 2009
Light Friday: Odd Energy Generators and Elements in Slow Motion...
Plus the General Motors/Segway "PUMA" Transport Unveiled and, Per the People's Vote, a Hubble Photo of a Triple Galaxy 400 Million Light Years Away.
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April 9, 2009
Signs of a Credit Thaw Sparks Optimism
A reported two-month improvement of credit conditions in March gives hope to credit-strapped businesses for the unfreezing of bank lending.
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April 8, 2009
Unemployment's Impact on H-1B Visas
As the country bears through a severe recession and an 8.5 percent unemployment rate, H-1B visas are coming under attack.
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April 7, 2009
Managing Contractual Workers
The percentage of work being allocated to contract labor has grown significantly as companies trim down their overall workforce. Here we look at how to manage contingent labor and avoid tax pitfalls.
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April 6, 2009
Weekly Industry Crib Sheet: G-20 Leaders Pledge $1.1 Trillion for Global Crisis...
Plus: Trade Barriers, Positions and Partners; New-Vehicle Sales in March; Global IT Spending Forecast; American Jobs Hammered; and Severance Packages in 2009 vs. 2001.
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April 3, 2009
Light Friday: Off-the-Wall Tax Deductions and Accidental Inventions...
Plus: The World's Largest Train Set, the Colbert Space Station Module and Did Smiles Lead to the Economy's Collapse?
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April 2, 2009
March Manufacturing Shows Signs of Stability
Although factory activity in the United States shrank last month, the rapid decline in manufacturing appears to have moderated somewhat. Some signs of encouragement can be found in new orders for U.S.-made goods.
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April 1, 2009
Spotting a Troubled Supplier
With businesses uncertain of their future, buyers are in a precarious situation. Companies must constantly monitor their suppliers' financial health to be able to react before one of them goes under.
