While there’s been heated debate around the causes of the trend, it’s hard to deny that climate change is real. The effects are already being felt in numerous ways and in dozens of locations around the world, and changes are happening at a faster rate than the world’s experts previ

In recent years, our supply chains have successfully faced challenges ranging from severe weather and natural disasters to trade wars and cyberattacks. It quickly became apparent, however, that supply chains were not hardened and prepared for the ripple effects of a global pandemic.With shortages of

Quick and efficient arrival of electronic components is essential for any equipment manufacturer to run successfully, but long lead times are increasingly causing halts in production. Here's a breakdown of today's blockages — and how to deal with the disruption. The COVID-19

We are living in a time of significant upheaval. In just a few short months, the COVID-19 pandemic has utterly changed the way we live our lives, and has had a huge impact on the way we do business. The economy has suffered while the very way we work has been transformed, with remote working becomin

In the coming weeks, we might very well see tax incentives for reshoring manufacturing back to the U.S. pop up in proposed stimulus packages. Most of the COVID-19 stimulus programs already in place are set to expire at the end of July, and it’s clear that we’re collectively not out of th

Consumer behavior has changed quickly over the year, mostly due to the impact of COVID-19. In the first few weeks of the virus's spread in the U.S., consumers quickly cut back on luxury spending and started buying non-perishable foods like dried beans and canned veggies as well as home cleaning

COVID-19 has thrown the global economy into turmoil, interrupting normal operations everywhere, wreaking havoc on supply chains, and causing a severe drop in global trade.Asia, of course, is not immune. The difficulties facing businesses across the region are captured in annual study by trade credit

Product manufacturers, e-tailers and traditional brick-and-mortar stores alike are leading an emerging generation of e-commerce and web experiences built with 3-D visualization technologies. A growing number of these companies — like Apple, Amazon, Walmart and more — under

Much attention has been paid to the ability of individual companies and their supply chains to withstand disruptive events. But what makes an entire country resilient?That question is of prime interest to FM Global, the American mutual insurance company that publishes an annual Resilience Index of 1

It’s been said that change is the easiest way to survive. The coronavirus pandemic has shaken global economies, challenged and disrupted supply chains, and forced many organizations into a period of reflection.In many instances this has already led to change, not only in how people will work i

As I was reading the story “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” to my youngest son, I had a revelation about … pricing. Ignoring the unlawful entry and destroying private property actions of Goldilocks, what’s most telling were her discoveries of the “just right&rdquo

The coronavirus pandemic, declining global consumption and overproduction have combined to deal a severe blow to the oil industry.The U.S. Energy Information Administration has lowered its forecast for domestic oil production this year to an average of 11.7 million barrels a day, down 500,000 barrel

Businesses are increasingly turning over all or part of their information technology functions to outside service providers. While this may create certain efficiencies, the organization is still ultimately responsible for risks associated with the availability and functions of I.T. services, as well

The key to mitigating abrupt and unexpected disruptions in any company’s global supply chain is timely, actionable information.That includes systematic monitoring of key suppliers to keep abreast of any news affecting their sites that could lead to a disruption, such as labor unrest, natural d

Supply chains are having a moment. It took a major transformative event to highlight the importance and fragility of the global and interdependent supply-chain network.Like the domino theory in politics, disruptions in supply chains have a ripple effect, with often devastating consequences to how go

E-commerce has shifted the parcel industry toward meeting faster delivery schedules and providing greater service levels to customers. Retailers and their carriers are investing in last-mile visibility tools to meet time-sensitive needs, share delivery updates directly to consumers, and ensure their

Undoubtedly, the recent global health crisis has changed the world, particularly in terms of retail and the way people shop. E-commerce has become a lifeline to the nation in more ways than one, from essential grocery deliveries to games and toys for home entertainment, causing online sales to jump

For many years, e-commerce has been on a steady rise, making up roughly 9% to 10% of total U.S. retail sales. For emerging brands, it has been a vehicle for going from unknown to household name. For others, e-commerce has lived primarily on the whiteboard as a problem to solve in the years ahead.Due

The foundation of a company is, almost by definition, the strength and reliability of its suppliers. Otherwise, how could it turn out products in a timely and profitable way?Unless you take the time to fully vet each key supplier, you’re likely to be putting your company at considerable risk.

Among the many “gifts” of the coronavirus pandemic is a hard lesson about the fragility of food supply chains.Companies that consistently placed cost savings above resilience are discovering how risky that strategy can be. The notion of cheapest price becomes irrelevant when there’