Smelter Reform Seen as Answer to Conflict-Free Minerals Sourcing
Intel and HP recently presented an update of their work in the Conflict-Free Smelter Program, designed to get the world's smelters to source minerals only from mines that have proven not to be funding armed rebel groups in the Congo. Two of the world's most influential information technology companies continue to work on removing conflict minerals from global supply chains as a long-anticipated...
Read More »OLEDs Illuminate the Future of Lighting and Displays
Organic light-emitting diodes hold promise for powering our future generations of electronic displays, lighting, and signage. They blend high brightness and contrast with low energy consumption, while parallel research in new materials could bode well for thinner and flexible OLED installations in unique and once-thought impossible ways. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are the future of...
Read More »Editor's Note: Expect the Unexpected
I recently learned a lesson that one can never be too comfortable as the unexpected is always bound to happen. This lesson can be applied to being vigilant in keeping your business one step, or even two, ahead of the next natural or man-made disaster. A few days ago, as I rode the train to work, a young woman collapsed right in front of me. Several riders and I quickly moved to her aid, as she...
Read More »Going the Distance: Solving 'Last-Meter' Connectivity on the Shop Floor
Magellan Aerospace Corp. of Mississauga, Ont., needed to get more production out of a three-machine cell at one of its aircraft component production plants. The problem was, these were three legacy machines with proprietary technologies. Was the purchase of a fourth machine for the cell worth the large capital investment? What about getting those three machines to operate more efficiently? Was it...
Read More »Procurement Jobs Are Evolving, Favoring Strategic Over Tactical
Transactional procurement practitioners face a crossroad. Not only do companies now need professionals who have fundamental cost-savings skills, they desire a bevy of other abilities: specialized category knowledge, financial analysis, influence and leadership, supplier engagement, to name a few. This is a reflection of the need for new revenue growth and the profession's maturation into a...
Read More »Industry Crib Sheet: April Industrial Production Tumbles
Metalworking Equipment Demand Returns with Bang Small Business Confidence Peaks Precariously U.S. industrial production in April fell a sharp 0.6 percent as both manufacturing and utilities returned to more normal levels after severe early-year weather had caused heating output to surge and pent-up goods production in February and March. Economists rationalized that the 5.3 percent drop in...
Read More »The Light Side: Big Apple Can Handle Godzilla
Congressman's Vile Act Caught on Camera Flat Land? You're Not in Kansas Anymore The Body Dryer: Bacteria-Free Drying System The new remake of Godzilla hits theaters nationwide today to stomp on current box-office competition and kick off the summer blockbuster season. While trailers of the movie have been showing the giant lizard laying waste to San Francisco and other metro areas, New York City...
Read More »Minding Your Business: The Motivation and Art of Productivity
Productivity doesn't happen by accident, whether it's by an individual or an entire organization. It is planned, honed, and executed with the vision and understanding of the end goal and the time constraints with which to reach that result, according to executive and leadership coach Janna Hoiberg. A sales rep for a geospatial sensing and mapping company was asked why her product was important....
Read More »Important Keys in Implementing a Workplace Wellness Program
As the debate around healthcare reform continues, one thing is certain: employer healthcare costs are still going up. More and more organizations are taking steps to help employees lower their health risks and thus health insurance claims. Wellness programs are part of cost-reduction strategies, and workforce solutions expert Michelle Benjamin reminds of key program-management tips. One of the...
Read More »Analytics Technologies Drive Transformation in Workforce Management
Big Data and predictive analytics are allowing companies to improve their workforce recruitment and management by selecting the right people with the right skills for the right jobs, and by predicting things like workers' job performance and satisfaction. Yet they also hold the potential for higher-level benefits, such as achieving better alignment of the workforce with company objectives. Human...
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