Procurement

Negotiations Principles

Monday, December 10, 2012 · Robert A Rudzki BATNA stands for Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement. In a sense, it is your fallback position in the event the current negotiation does not succeed in achieving its objectives.

Supply Chain Managers Continue to Rely on West Coast Ports During Holiday Season

Monday, December 10, 2012 · Patrick Burnson Even though the nation’s top ocean cargo gateways have been virtually shut down for several days this past month, retailers are reporting a slight increase in inbound throughput

Professional Concerns

Friday, November 30, 2012 · Robert A Rudzki Readers are invited to participate in our survey.

Bricks Matter

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 · Lora Cecere Material event after material event created a boardroom understanding of why Bricks Matter.

Durable Goods Orders Remain Flat

Tuesday, November 27, 2012 · SCMR Staff the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation commented today that, excluding the often volatile demand for transportation equipment, total new orders were up by 1.5 percent and have been modest in recent months.

Confidence Shaky in Retail

Friday, November 23, 2012 · Patrick Burnson Consumer sentiment has taken a hit after the presidential election due to increased awareness by many Americans of the fiscal cliff and stock market volatility.

CargoWise Expands In Mexican Market

Friday, November 23, 2012 · Patrick Burnson CargoWise spokesmen announced Mexican freight forwarder Evolucion Logistics has adopted a hosted version of ediEnterprise in its head office following an implementation process.

A Big Fat, Wealthy Chinese Market, But You Must Produce Locally

Thursday, November 15, 2012 · Rosemary Coates most of the companies are expanding operations in China. Why? Because China is by far, the largest target market on the planet for just about everything.

Hurricane Sandy and Fiscal Cliff Impact October Retail Sales

Wednesday, November 14, 2012 · Patrick Burnson For the first time in three months, retail sales ticked down slightly as consumers cooled discretionary spending in the face of inclement weather and uncertainty in Washington.

Push or Pull:  Which is Better When Dealing With Perishable Goods?

Monday, November 5, 2012 · Dr. Tom McNamara, The ESC Rennes School of Business, France While supply chain managers are dealing with the lingering effects of the “Great Recession” of 2008, many are faced with two conflicting problems

Is Our Profession Making Real Progress?

Saturday, October 20, 2012 · Robert A Rudzki There is anecdotal evidence that Procurement and Supply Management has regressed at some companies during the past 3 to 5 years.

APICs Focus On Virtual Education

Thursday, October 18, 2012 · Patrick Burnson The annual APICs conference in Denver this week confirmed what many readers (and more than a few industry pundits) had suspected. Education is rapidly migrating on a virtual path

MAPI’s Composite Business Outlook Index Suggests Cautious Optimism

Saturday, October 13, 2012 · Jeff Berman The results of the quarterly Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI) Survey on the Business Outlook indicate slowing growth for U.S. manufacturing over the next three to six months.

Latest Manufacturing Report From ISM Suggests Positive Change

Monday, October 1, 2012 · Patrick Burnson Following three consecutive months of slight contraction, economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in September.

Will “Logistics Clusters” Solve Supply Chain Conumdrum?

Monday, October 1, 2012 · Patrick Burnson The development of and investment in logistics clusters are part of the solution to today’s economic problems