On Monday, July 1, the hotly contested new hours of service regulations imposed on the trucking industry by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) went into effect. Carriers and drivers hoped the Federal Appeals Court would rule in their favor before the new rules took effect, and even requested that the FMCSA hold off…
Durable goods manufacturing, seen as a key indicator of market strength and business confidence in the economy, rose in May for the third consecutive month. This is the third time this sector has seen a three month straight increase in orders since the fall quarter of 2011. According to the report by the U.S. Commerce…
Not long ago, people became supply chain employees through another outlet such as an MBA. Now, more schools are responding to job opportunities in the industry and are offering degree programs to fill the needs within the industry. Businessweek suggests that careers within the supply chain are “the next big thing.” Here’s everything you need…
Reuters news agency reports that the Army Corps of Engineers is being forced to close numerous locks along the Mississippi River due to rising flood waters. According to spokespeople for the Corps, it is unclear when barge traffic will be allowed to resume due to chances of even more rains in these regions in the…
As production costs and energy prices rise overseas, the U.S. is looking more attractive to companies looking for low-cost areas to manufacture goods. Top manufacturers such as Caterpillar, GE and Ford, which led the way towards moving manufacturing overseas, are once again considering the U.S. for new manufacturing facilities. This growth in U.S. manufacturing jobs…
Since 2000, supply chain disruptions have been on the rise. Dr. Alan Punter, a risk management consultant with 25 years’ experience, carefully studied the rise to try to identify reasons. The study examined business-to-business processes and how automating these processes can benefit companies in the long run.
According to a new report released by two Gartner analysts in conjunction with MESA International determines the single largest obstacle to deploying MES applications is a lack of clarity on the costs and benefits these systems can offer. This came as a surprise to Gartner analysts Simon Jacobson and Michael Doran because these issues were…
Nowhere is the failure of the dot comes more clearly illustrated than with the bankruptcy of Webvan. This company had everything it should take to be a success: a long list of large-pocketed investors, a bankroll of cash, and some of the most brilliant management minds money could buy. But without the right research and…
In an uncertain world, there were still things people believed they could depend on. Some of these things included our need for consumer electronics like alarm clocks and home telephones. However, the introduction of the smartphone to the market has uprooted a number of key supply chains, leaving once-thriving industries wondering what’s to come.
During the severe economic recession, which began in 2009 and is only lessening its grip on the world very recently, suppliers in the automotive parts industry consolidated their operations, closed manufacturing facilities, and laid off workers. In all, they reduced capacity by about 30 percent. Now, the auto industry is experiencing an unprecedented boom in…