strategy+business: OPERATIONS & MANUFACTURING

Is China the World's Next Rust Belt?

by John Jullens — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 06:00:00 GMT

Many Western pundits believe that rising labor costs portend the decline of manufacturing in China. But such reactions may be overblown. Although the country's manufacturing base will likely begin to fragment, five factors point to opportunities for it to remain robust.

s+b Trend Watch: Sourcing and Risk

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Optimism Returns to the American Automotive Industry

by Brian Collie, Scott Corwin, and Arjun Kakkar — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Cars are selling again, companies are increasingly profitable, and auto executives are confident. The industry is now well positioned for a global economic recovery, provided it can maintain its focus on fundamentals and not repeat the mistakes of the past.

Industrials: Embrace Strong-Form Product Management

by Dan Holland, Barry Jaruzelski, Arvind Kaushal, and Marian Mueller — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 06:00:00 GMT

A Better Way to Battle Malware

by Tim Laseter and Eric Johnson — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 06:00:00 GMT

Emulating the methods used to transform production quality could clean up the Internet -- and might even pay for itself.

A Strategist's Guide to Digital Fabrication

by Tom Igoe and Catarina Mota — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Rapid advances in manufacturing technology point the way toward a decentralized, more customer-centric "maker" culture. Here are the changes to consider before this innovation takes hold.

Manufacturing's Wake-Up Call

by Arvind Kaushal, Thomas Mayor, and Patricia Riedl — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 05:00:00 GMT

A new study shows how the decisions made today by goods producers and policymakers will shape U.S. competitiveness tomorrow.

Focus and Scale on the Internet

by Tim Laseter — Tue, 24 May 2011 05:00:00 GMT

The next wave of online business models must focus narrowly, rather than blindly pursuing scale.

The Thought Leader Interview: Henry Chesbrough

by Rob Norton — Tue, 24 May 2011 05:00:00 GMT

To escape the commodity trap -- and to compete effectively in a knowledge-based economy -- business leaders of all kinds need to reinvent themselves as innovators in services.

Service Operations as a Secret Weapon

by Harry Hawkes, Curt Bailey, and Patricia Riedl — Mon, 02 May 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Effectively managing service operations is crucial to controlling labor costs and improving customer satisfaction. By addressing six drivers of performance, executives can go a step further -- turning their service operations into a key source of competitive advantage.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle…or Rethink

by Tim Laseter, Anton Ovchinnikov, and Gal Raz — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:00:00 GMT

For consumer durables, environmental sustainability starts with discarding conventional wisdom.

Data Points: Manufacturing's Economic Footprint

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Cleaning the Crystal Ball

by Tim Laseter, Casey Lichtendahl, and Yael Grushka-Cockayne — Tue, 25 May 2010 05:00:00 GMT

How intelligent forecasting can lead to better decision making.

Herman Miller's Design for Growth

by Bill Birchard — Tue, 25 May 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The office-furniture design leader is betting on innovation as it continues to push the envelope of management practice.

Virtuous Connections

by Richard Verity and Chris McNally — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 06:00:00 GMT

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 06:00:00 GMT

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 06:00:00 GMT

Which manufacturing operations should return to the United States?

An Essential Step for Corporate Strategy

by Tim Laseter — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:00:00 GMT

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 11:00:00 GMT

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 11:00:00 GMT

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 13:00:00 GMT

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 11:00:00 GMT

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 14:00:00 GMT

Building Cars by Design

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

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 13:00:00 GMT

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