strategy+business: OPERATIONS & MANUFACTURING

Virtuous Connections

by Richard Verity and Chris McNally — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

A fine-tuned supply chain is more than the sum of its parts. Ideally, each link improves the next.

The Supply Chain Is Flat

by Sheridan Prasso — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

William Fung, the head of an old and very large Hong Kong trading company, on making and selling products in a vastly altered global landscape.

The Case for Backshoring

by William J. Holstein — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Which manufacturing operations should return to the United States?

An Essential Step for Corporate Strategy

by Tim Laseter — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Though often missing, a formal operations strategy can guide the crucial decisions that build competitive advantage.

Debugging the Supply Chain

by Keith Buckley and George Appling — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:00:00 -0500

Ten-year-old Cricket Communications found that even the oft overlooked supply chain can be a lucrative target for innovation.

A "Hands-on" Approach to Surviving the Recession

by Art Kleiner and Laura W. Geller — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:00:00 -0500

Noble Group CEO Richard Elman discusses risk, opportunity, and his growth strategy for the commodities business.

Reframing Your Business Equation

by Tim Laseter and M. Eric Johnson — Tue, 26 May 2009 08:00:00 -0500

Companies and industries are often driven by implicit formulas. Questioning their validity can lead to breakthroughs.

Global Partnerships Unplugged

by Mike Cooke and Marc Johnson — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 06:00:00 -0500

A survey finds that information technology is a neglected asset in joint ventures, leading to disturbing results.

1. Manufacturing: Diagnosing This Downturn

by Conrad Winkler, Kaj Grichnik, and Arvind Kaushal — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:00:00 -0600

Building Cars by Design

by Vikas Sehgal, Robert Reppa, and Kazutoshi Tominaga — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 07:00:00 -0600

Faced with plummeting demand, automakers should make vehicles with features that match customer preferences.

Transforming an Adversarial Relationship

by Frank Smeekes and Reid Wilk — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:00:00 -0600

A survey of automakers and their suppliers unearths the management prerequisites for working together profitably.

Supplier Empowerment and the Bottom Line

by Tim Laseter and Greg Fairchild — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

When you adapt your sourcing strategy to a more diverse world, everybody benefits.

The Collaboration Game

by Simon Harper, Amit Kapoor, and Marco Kesteloo — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 07:00:00 -0500

Although an elusive goal, cooperative relationships between retailers and suppliers can be wildly profitable.

Is Backshoring the New Offshoring?

by Vinay Couto, Ashok Divakaran, and Mahadeva Mani — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 07:00:00 -0500

The business press is touting a return of offshored jobs to the U.S. -- but we're not buying it.

Knowledge-based Sourcing in China

by Ronald Haddock, Michael Pfitzmann, and Reid Wilk — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 07:00:00 -0500

Structural shifts in the Asian giant's economy are forcing companies to adopt deeper and more personal strategies for supplier relationships.

Smarter Medicine

by Michael V. Copeland — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

How the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revolutionized the way vaccines are delivered.

RFID Redux

by Jeffrey Rothfeder — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 07:00:00 -0500

No longer the tech darling, RFID is slowly reemerging as a valuable way to monitor small pieces of big supply chains.

Sidestepping Disaster

by William J. Holstein — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:00:00 -0500

Extending supply chains to low-cost nations may make economic sense, but disruptions from natural catastrophes can drown the gains.

Indian Outsourcers Go Global

by William Holstein — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:00:00 -0500

Facing mounting competitive pressure, India's biggest firms are reshaping themselves as multinationals.

It's Not about the Money

by John Frehse — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:00:00 -0500

To improve employee morale and productivity, increasing compensation may be precisely the wrong tack.

Jeffrey Liker: The Thought Leader Interview

by Jeffrey Rothfeder — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The lean process expert explains why it's so hard to emulate Toyota.

Start with Sourcing

by Martha Turner and Pat Houston — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Procurement lies at the heart of a successful green strategy.

Six Keys to a Winning Manufacturing Strategy

by William J. Holstein — Wed, 28 May 2008 06:00:00 -0500

How John Deere bucked industrial trends to become an international growth star.

China's Shifting Competitive Equation

by Christoph Alexander Bliss, Ronald Haddock, and Kaj Grichnik — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 05:00:00 -0500

Multinational companies must respond to China's rising costs by bringing their own global best practices to its shores.

Launch and Learn

by Tim Laseter and Ron Kerber — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

To consistently turn out profitable new offerings, companies must integrate three distinct innovation portfolios.

Signals for the Coming Year

by Art Kleiner — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 05:00:00 -0600

Change may be certain, but for a business decision maker, some changes have more impact than others. Here are eight trends that will make the greatest difference in 2008.

Manufacturing's "Make or Break" Moment

by Kaj Grichnik and Conrad Winkler — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Reshaping global manufacturing.

How Green Is My Value Chain?

by Hardin Tibbs — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Transforming the value chain into a value loop can save natural resources and enhance a business's long-term prospects.

Saving Procurement from Itself

by Hugh Baker and Fabrice Saporito — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

It's time for chief procurement officers to stop relying solely on functional depth and start increasing functional breadth.

Paving the Silk Road

by Fadi Majdalani, Ulrich Kögler, and Simon Kuge — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

A hybrid solution for sea and air transport addresses the changing nature of global shipping.