Amazon recently opened their first retail store on the campus of Purdue University. Now, Google is following suit with a retail store of their own. These e-commerce giants realize that there is still power in having physical retail space. They are testing whether these small retail stores will improve their supply chain power and strengthen…
Water restrictions are not a new thing to California — the state has been imposing them on residents every summer for decades. However, Governor Jerry Brown just ordered one of the largest mandatory water restrictions in California history. Residents need to cut their water usage by 25 percent. Governor Brown said, “We’re standing on dry…
According to the 2015 FM Global Resilience Index, Norway has the most resilient supply chain of any country around the world. The index ranks 130 countries based on their risk mitigation plans, geographic position, investments, and economic stability. Norway scored so well because the country has minimal exposure to natural disasters, in addition to their…
The government in New Delhi just announced that they plan to reform their tariff regime to be more in line with regional trade pacts that are being negotiated around the world. Right now, India’s tariffs are too different for the country to even be considered for membership in the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Basically, India’s tariffs are…
TNT Express is a global logistics company that operates in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. They serve more than 200 countries and have a value of $6.680 billion euro. They handle nearly one million deliveries per day. However, the company has been struggling to compete with UPS, FedEX, and DHL. In…
On April 3, a fire broke out at GE Appliance Park in Louisville, Kentucky. Firefighters are still on the scene dealing with hot spots, but the fire has mostly been contained. It caused heavy damage throughout the building and soot has traveled to nearby neighborhoods. GE is experiencing some production delays, but the company anticipates…
All successful businesses reach a point where they need more than a handful of employees. At that point, it’s time to consider outsourcing. However, it’s not a decision that should be based purely on labor costs. There are hidden costs not to overlook.
After two decades of economic growth and prosperity in China, the country has finally started to slow down. Countries that typically outsource to China are finding less expensive places to do business. Plus, China is not replenishing its population at a fast enough rate to replenish the workforce. Despite the slumping economy, China has found…
Nebraska is key to the success of Tyson Fresh Meats. The company has a large warehouse in Lexington that employs 2,700 people in their meat packaging business. This year, Tyson Fresh Meats plans to update the facility and expand its boxed beef department with a $47 million renovation and expansion. Several products are already packaged…
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been hard at work trying to keep the sky safe, but new innovations, such as drones, have been making their job more difficult. Well, things are about to get even more complicated as the first flying car hopes to make its début. This could happen as early as 2017.