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Critical Issues...

Logistics and supplychain management critical issues

Government urged to increase scrutiny of banks lending to small businesses
Business owners struggling to access finance from major lenders are sceptical about support from the Government, despite its commitment to scrutinise the behaviour of banks via its Small Business Lending Monitoring Panel.

The Motorola Enterprise Mobility Barometer
Motorola study shows over seven in ten manufacturers view mobility as key to converting downtime into productive time.

K3 helps manufacturers go green
A leading UK ERP specialist is helping manufacturers become more eco-friendly while saving money.

What IT Customers Can Learn from Charles Darwin
Customers tend to view IT systems as a cost rather than an investment according to Sami Saoudi operations director of software developer MMCC consultants.

TGI announces new corporate blog: ERP Insights
Site visitors are encouraged to submit questions and responses to blog topics through the TGI website to initiate open and informative discussion.

'The rebound has already begun'
Frost & Sullivan Chairman
"We've seen the economy bottom out in early May with indicators all around us that the recovery has started, confidence is driving an upswing in all market sectors".

Confidence starting to return to logistics market
The latest results of Ti’s Global Logistics Business Confidence Index have shown a significant return of optimism to the market.

Win in a flat world
Now is the time to take a fresh look at how best to classify inventory in the world of e-commerce.

Keeping one step ahead of demand
Manufacturing & Logistics IT spoke with Martin Nurser of Tata Consultancy services (TCS), and Timothy Hughes, business development director, supply chain planning, Oracle, about their respective organisations’ partnership.

Outsourcing might be the answer – but what’s the question?
By Dr Richard Williams BSc, MSc, FLS
There are many reasons why organisations decide to outsource, and more often than not it’s a question of cost. However, there can be other drivers.

Survey reveals 37% of workers would hand-over company secrets for £1m
Especially now that employee loyalty is at an all time low, with a third of workers saying they felt a lot less loyal towards their employers than they did a year ago.

No respite for small businesses in the 2009 Budget
The Forum of Private Business (FPB) is concerned that the 2009 Budget has failed to address the main issues threatening the UK’s struggling small businesses.

Manufacturing workers needed down under
With the UK manufacturing industry on its knees emigration experts are advising workers to look down under, where their skills are still in demand.

Recession will drive radical changes in supply chains
As companies put a top priority on cutting their supply chain costs, LCP Consulting says that their actions should focus on ‘five maxims’ so they ride the downturn and prosper in the recovery…

5 anti stress tips for logistics & transport workers as 44% admit more pressure
People working in logistics & transport are being offered a series of tips to help them reduce the amount of stress they face at work during the recession.

DHL employees across Ireland unite to raise €100k for children with Autism
Employees unite in their continued efforts to increase awareness of autism.

Apprenticeships 'will help bridge skills gap'.
The Apprentice star is fronting a government supported scheme looking to increase the number of apprentices and bridge skills gaps within industry.

The difference between theory and practice is achieving competitive advantage
The Saudi Arabian Supply Chain Intelligence Report (SCIR) 2008, has revealed a disconnect between theory and practise when it comes to supply chain management

Experts warn manufacturing industry could face skill’s shortage
A survey of the industry has predicted that there will be 140,000 manufacturing job losses this year. According to recruitment experts at Warrington based Antal International, these losses could lead to a serious skill’s gap when the recession ends.

SME late payment problems rife in distribution sector
Late payments to small and medium sized enterprises spiral out of control across Great Britain, reaching an all time high of almost £26 billion

IT ‘at heart of next industrial revolution’
In 10 years’ time we will be able to put an entire year’s worth of our waking experience-in digital quality-on a laptop. By 2039 that could extend to a record of our entire lives.

Green still in fashion despite recession
Despite some of the toughest trading conditions in over a generation, UK manufacturers look set to continue their green investments.

Trend to ignore safety in recession could see logistics managers jailed
An alarming trend of companies apparently ignoring health and safety in an attempt to save costs during the recession could result in logistics managers facing jail.

Manhattan Warehouse Management system - VIDEO
YourTechTV.com
Donaldson takes control of European distribution with Manhattan Associates

Study finds adoption of software solutions key for improving IT energy efficiency
The CA commissioned study found that organisations are considering, and have budgeted for, software solutions to improve the efficiency of their IT infrastructure and to solve the environmental challenges posed by the rapidly increasing use of computing resources in large corporations.

Food & beverage industries go wireless
By Khadambari Shanbagaraman, Frost & Sullivan
An increasing population and growing consumer demand for packaged foods has forced food and beverages industry to look at new technologies

Will social networking drive customer service?
By Ian Jacobs
Although Salesforce.com has been the poster child for successful on-demand software vendors, the company has the long-term vision to see that, in order to continue its stellar growth pace, it needs to expand into new areas.

IT in a cold climate
By Dr Richard Williams BSc, MSc, FLS
Whenever they hear the word “recession”, the first thing most organisations do is adopt a siege mentality, stop all expenditure deemed “non-essential” and hunker down for a long winter. Budgets get cut, new initiatives are stopped in their tracks and everyone concentrates on keeping the lights on as cheaply as possible...

‘Recession proof’ WMS & inventory optimisation software
By David Smy, director, Smart Warehouse Systems (SWS)
In general, many companies and individuals are tightening their belts and survival is number one on the agenda. However, this does not mean that strategies will, or should be, abandoned; it is more a case of careful steering through unchartered waters.

Getting Supply Chain Management on the Board Room Agenda
VIDEO by Professor Richard Wilding
This video addresses the impact of supply chain management of shareholder value, the impact of good supply chain approaches in supporting growth and how supply chain events can result in a 20% reduction in share price.

A Green Supply Chain Strategy Today Will Spearhead Tomorrow’s Business Growth
In our age of technology, here is a disconcerting thought: more than half of the warehouses in North America and Europe still rely on paper rather than an automated system. Essentially, companies lack inventory visibility, suffer operating inefficiencies and waste resources within the supply chain.

Bring IT to Account for its Actions
By Alan Smith, SVP UK & Ireland, UC4 Software.
Having said good-bye to the manual checks and balances that used to record and audit business transactions, auditors and compliance officers are demanding that IT be capable of accounting for all of its activities.

Flexibility will be key to success during economic downturn
According to supply chain thought leaders at i2 Technologies, supply chains must offer more flexibility in 2009

Survey shows manufacturers reaping productivity rewards of investment in IT and lean
Britain’s manufacturers have been supporting their drive to secure new markets, raise innovation performance and increase productivity by investing in IT and lean solutions

The sting in the tail of the supply chain
By Mark Oppermann, VoiceSage
The final part of the supply chain has always been a costly and time-intensive process, which companies recognise as vital to the consumer experience

Uptake of SaaS EDI gains momentum as Companies realise Cost Savings
The marketplace for SaaS EDI, the e-procurement service that increases the Return On Investment from EDI, is expanding fast according to experts First B2B

Automatic Data Capture: what is the state of play, and what does the future hold?
Manufacturing & Logistics IT spoke to some of the leading names from the analyst and standards community to gain a deeper insight into this fascinating, vibrant and highly beneficial technology space

Retrenchment of UK manufacturing continued in October.
Marked drop in cost inflation – CIPS/Markit UK Manufacturing PMI

Manufacturers ‘must do more to combat rising energy costs’
by Deloitte
UK manufacturers risk losing their competitiveness in world markets unless more can be done to counter rising energy costs, according to a new report

Credit crunch forces companies to drive efficiencies throughout supply chain
The logistics and transport sector has felt the brunt of the dramatically changing economic climate over the past few months

Economic gloom – senior executives in manufacturing sector call for long-term focus
A poll of 1,118 senior executives reveals that manufacturing sector managers and leaders are calling for calm in the face of the continued economic gloom.

Sustainability is driver of innovation rather than cost
Research by KPMG and CIES
Research released by KPMG International and CIES reveals that, far from regarding corporate responsibility as a cost, many leading retailers and manufacturers see sustainability as an important driver of innovation

CIPS/Markit UK Manufacturing PMI
Manufacturing output, new orders and employment all fell at survey record rates in September

'Green collar' skills gap to hit manufacturing sector
The rising demand for ‘green collar’ working in manufacturing will place pressure on the domestic skills market and leave businesses without the engineering and environmental expertise they require, according to new research from Royal Haskoning

Active RFID in China
By Dr. Peter Harrop, Chairman, IDTechEx
The US and China vie for the title of the world's largest RFID market, this year seeing them level pegging with $1.3 billion of business

VIDEO - An RFID Success Story
Peter Lai, who lead the project explains; "NGFE's main business driver throughout this project was to ensure 100 per cent accuracy in everything we ship to our customers."

UK downturn continues
A CIPS/Markit report
The ongoing downturn of the UK manufacturing sector continued in August

Very poor countries are on the wrong side of a growing logistical divide
A Conference Board report
The gap between developed and developing countries has been a global concern for decades, but skyrocketing oil prices and the general growth of world markets threaten to widen the gap

The ‘Lean’ challenge in demand-driven value chains
By Aamer Rehman and Kelly Thomas of i2
A 'USA Today' article entitled “Toyota’s Success Pleases Proponents of ‘Lean’” may have left some readers confused

Survey shows companies 'passing the buck' on green logistics
New research by Transport Intelligence and Kewill suggests that most companies seeking to make their logistics operations more environmentally friendly want someone else to cover the costs

How to prosper in uncertain times
Tony Price, acting CEO of Vistage International, gives his top tips
As the economy becomes increasingly volatile, how can managing directors, CEOs and owner-managers prosper in uncertain times?

Track & trace: Hologram leading the way to added value
There’s no doubt about the growing impact and utility that holograms are having in the battle against counterfeiting

Oracle study reveals the shape of tomorrow’s supply chain
Oracle has released a study, conducted by future trends consultancy The Future Laboratory, which highlights the vast transformation that sustainable business practices is unleashing on worldwide supply chains

Manufacturers’ orders holding up and prices still rising sharply due to high costs
A CBI Survey
While manufacturers saw a modest improvement in their order books in June, the rise in prices of manufactured goods will continue

Going green in the supply chain
By David Simchi-Levi,Ph.D. Professor of Engineering Systems, MIT
Going green is at the forefront of everyone’s mind and nowhere is this truer than in manufacturing and supply chains

Weak domestic demand and high cost inflation push manufacturing output lower
Latest data from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS) and Markit.

How to avoid your SOA initiative becoming a big ‘So What?’
Celona Technologies’ Tony Sceales examines the hype, hope and reality
For the past few years service-oriented architectures have been promoted as the panacea of the IT world, but cracksm are already beginning to appear

Supercomputers for manufacturing – getting it right
by Julian Fielden, MD of OCF plc
Today, western manufacturing organisations are facing increasing pressure on many levels - the rising cost of oil, environmental concerns, soaring food prices and continual increases in global competition from Eastern Europe, India and China

The game plan
ERP remains a critically important component within any manufacturing or logistics organisation’s information armoury - but things are changing, and for the better!

The pitfalls of a short-sighted IT strategy
Martin Nurser, TATA Consultancy Services
Business Process Outsourcing can prove invaluable to manufacturers and logistics organisations looking to enhance business and operational efficiencies and to reduce wastage

Supply chain professionals call for Government to help meet industry’s green agenda
Infor has released the findings of its latest research, which reveal that supply chain professionals are calling upon the UK Government to help reduce the industry’s carbon footprint

Study reveals exploding 'Culture of Connectivity'
A new global IDC study sponsored by Nortel
Enterprises around the world are being forced into changing the way they do business faster than ever before or risk the opportunities of Hyperconnectivity passing them by

SaaS spreads within enterprise and SME manufacturing companies
Technology solutions delivered via SaaS have been around for some time now, however it’s only recently that their adoption has seen a marked increase throughout the manufacturing industry

From Russia with love
The specific challenges and opportunities facing automotive logisticians and manufacturers in the Russian marketplace will be debated in detail by some of the most important players in the industry at this year’s Automotive Logistics Russia conference

Winning the technology race
Thirty years ago, the role of IT systems within most businesses was very limited. Since then, though, this relationship has reversed. Today, many companies feel it is their business that is holding back their IT systems

For what IT’s worth
Stephen Kelly, CEO of Micro Focus, calls on businesses in the manufacturing sector to acknowledge the real value of software assets

Supply chains hold the key to survival
by Barloworld Optimus, Global Business Development Director, Fraser Ironside
Thousands of companies are caught up in the global economic downturn ‘like never before...’

Consumer research welcomes reverse logistics
Research conducted by Zetes
‘2 way ePOD’ would increase sales and customer satisfaction

Supply chain systems feel the 'green' effect
from PMP Research
The increasing globalisation of supply chain systems is causing mounting concern about their effect on the environment

Linking the chain
Manufacturing & Logistics IT spoke with some of the leading names in supply chain consultancy about the state of the art in supply chain and warehouse management solutions, and what the key drivers for change are among both the vendors and end users

Fair play
How state-of-the-art WMS and supply chain solution functionality is not only facilitating enhanced efficiency in the workplace but also greater fairness and understanding in the working environment

Manufacturing sector ‘ill equipped to deal with an economic downturn’
by The Society of Turnaround Professionals & GE Commercial Finance
New research indicates the top three sectors most likely to be hit by a deterioration in the economy are those operating in the retail, financial and manufacturing sectors

Bespoke software has entered a ‘brand’ new phase
Guy Milsom (pictured), MD of Pebble UK explains how manufacturers should be considering bespoke software systems to reflect their customers’ needs, processes and brand values

2008 set to be a challenging year for the logistics industry
Margins in the industry are already thin, but shippers can make moves now to improve their chance of future success

Unstoppable Momentum: Making real change with ERP
by Rod Horrocks BEng, MSc, CEng, FCMC – Director, Procertis Ltd
People underestimate both the power and the difficulty of change, especially when it comes to implementing systems which, by every rational measure, should result in improvements for all concerned

Why focusing on processes is the Holy Grail of business management
Organisations that migrate to a process-driven structure can expect to enjoy glittering prizes, says Terry Richardson, MD of Airwave Professional Services

Rethinking product development
Product development consultant Don Reinertsen is soon to return to the UK for two workshops, organised by Smallpeice Enterprise

Let’s talk about voice recognition systems
Duncan Smillie, managing director of Psion Teklogix (UK) describes how three diverse operations have brought significant efficiencies to their supply chains by implementing voice recognition systems

Three out of every four UK businesses wary of their email integrity
UK Businesses hope they will not be called before the court to share email evidence

RFID is Poised for Change
Article by Dr Peter Harrop PhD
The prosperous RFID business is on track to grow from about $5 billion in 2007 today to over $25 billion in 2017

Lightening the Burden of Proof (of Delivery)
by Bob Goodwin, director of Digital Vision
Automating key accounts receivable functions such as handling PoD notes helps to speed up cashflow, and makes a big impact on customer relations

Why there may be more to computing than Moore’s Law
by Alan Woodward, Chief Technology Officer at the business and information technology consultancy Charteris plc.

Manufacturing in UK regains lost momentum
November data from CIPS/NTC Economics indicated that the rate of expansion of UK manufacturing production recovered most of the momentum lost in the previous month.

Getting the edge
by Matt Dunstan, Application Platform Group Manager, Microsoft

Maximise your talent: Research identifies key challenges for business
The key challenges inherent in uncovering and managing talent within UK organisations have been identified in research published by the Chartered Management Institute and Ashridge Business School.

Unhappy customers can be good for your business
Charter UK has announced that companies should be actively encouraging customers to complain

Manufacturing output eased to a nine-month low in October as new orders slowed
Data from the latest CIPS/NTC survey of the UK manufacturing sector indicated that growth of the sector lost further momentum in October.

Active RFID and RTLS in manufacturing
By Dr. Peter Harrop
The ultimate supply chain and the ideal control of parts, materials, work in progress and finished goods in manufacturing will be provided by Real Time Locating Systems, ultimately with sensing as well.

Manufacturers are more pessimistic after credit squeeze
UK manufacturers have become more pessimistic about the business environment in the wake of the credit crunch, the latest quarterly CBI Industrial Trends survey has revealed.

ERP systems must be more agile
New survey shows ERP applications need to become more responsive to meet changing business requirements.

How to do international business & stay out of jail !!!

Supplier Relationship Management: Steps to Successful Supplier - Buyer Partnerships
By Sara Ireton, Assistant Vice President. JPMorgan
The relationship between a supplier and buyer can be a complex one. Each party wants to maximize its time, resources, and cash investment; these may be competing priorities that can strain the relationship.

Fancy a boost from the taxman?
It’s not often the taxman gives you money, but here’s a chance to give your company a competitive edge with a helping hand from HM Revenue & Customs.

Supply and demand
Following on from our special 10th Anniversary Report on Manufacturing software in May’s edition of Manufacturing & Logistics IT, we now point the spotlight on some of industry’s key Supply Chain Management and Warehouse Management System vendors who consider some of the most striking developments within their market over the past decade …

China remains number one location for manufacturers
Manufacturers are facing a number of pressures on their Chinese operations such as product safety concerns, rising labour costs, increased cost of raw materials and higher inflation.

How much of your WMS are you using?
By Alex Mills, sales & marketing director, Chess Logistics Technology.
Warehouse Management Systems are reaching serious levels of complexity

Boom in RFID will be reflected in Europe's Leading Conference
By Dr. Peter Harrop, IDTechEx
As the $5 billion RFID market moves strongly to over $25 billion in ten years, advances are on a broad front.

SME manufacturers see domestic demand grow at fastest rate for a decade – CBI
Small and medium-sized manufacturers have reported the highest rate of growth in domestic orders since 1997, and continue to enjoy firm demand overall, according to the CBI's latest quarterly SME survey.

Rapid adoption of RFID in manufacturing and logistics sectors
By Peter Harrop, IDTechEx
RFID is mainly a card business today and more is spent on RFID in China than in any other country.

Supply Chain Collaboration essential for eco-friendly logistics operations-SCALA Consulting Annual Logistics Debate
More environmental logistics strategies and operations will come - but this will be as a result of consumer pressure and will require collaboration between supply chain partners and a culture of trust.

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