Computer giant Apple is once again forced to examine its supply chain, particularly in China. Earlier this year, Apple introduced its Supplier Responsibility Program report, one of the most transparent reports on a company’s suppliers to date. Their own report revealed labor rights violations in addition to 150 instances of suppliers mishandling the hazardous waste…
Lackluster numbers in the spring have rebounded into a stronger industrial production outlook for the second half of 2013, according to analysts. The Federal Reserve reported industrial production was up .3 percent for June, which was on par with expectations. The numbers fell that much in April, and the manufacturing industry experienced no growth during…
In the wake of news that companies are not actually taking the necessary steps to protect their supply chains, new information uncovered by Supply Chain News highlights just how long the supply chain can suffer when a key region involved in the process experiences a tragic event. The latest news ties the recent recall of…
Just a few years ago, few schools even offered a graduate or undergraduate program in supply chain management, and most businesses were unaware of how much these skilled workers would be in demand in such a short time. According to a new article by Supply Chain News, supply chain managers are quickly becoming as important…
Following a two-year investigation, European regulators have announced that the Eurotunnel Group is charging about twice as much as it should to allow freight trains and passenger trains to cross. The Eurotunnel Group, comprised of French and British authorities, has operated the Eurotunnel since 1986. Currently, the tunnel is transporting only about 43 percent of…
Sixty executives from 29 different companies met June 18 for the Quintiq Supply Chain Executive Seminar. The seminar was hosted by Quintiq, an international leader in SCP&O (supply chain planning and optimizing). The executives in attendance included customers of Qunitiq, as well as some of their technologies and techniques consultants. Attendees shared a background in…
The trucking industry struggles to keep enough safe, eligible drivers on the roadways to meet customer demands for on time deliveries, just as thousands of service men and women return home from their overseas duties. A new program by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration attempts to pool this large body of new workers with…
According to the recently released Unites States Manufacturing Technology Orders report (USMTO), sales in the technology manufacturing sector are up significantly from April numbers, yet still remain much below order numbers reported for this same period during the year 2012. Overall, orders were up 13.6 percent and stood at $430.06 for the month of May,…
In June, FedEx Corporation announced plans to raise their shipping rates and cut jobs and operating costs, citing an excess capacity in the air freight market, which had offset the increase in shipments. On Friday, United Parcel Service Inc (UPS) announced they were cutting their earnings forecast, saying customers were choosing slower, cheaper shipping services…
The Materials Handling Institute (MHI) is developing a roadmap, which will hopefully serve as a guide to the materials handling and logistics industries through the year 2025. Their effort was sparked by a similar roadmap issued by Robotics Virtual Organization (Robotics VO) in March of this year. MHI announced their plans for the Roadmap for…