Geopolitics, Natural Resources & Impacts to the Supply Chain
There are mountains of geopolitical threats going on with significant impact on the supply chain. Most, if not all of these also relate to natural resources.
China’s Water Crisis Impact on Manufacturing & Supply Chain
According to an article in Foreign Affairs, the per capita available water supply around the Northern China Plain (253 cubic meters) is nearly 50% below the UN definition of acute water supply.
Strategies for Using Metaverse in the Supply Chain
In manufacturing and supply chain, AR (augmented reality), VR (virtual reality) and digital twins (digital representation of an intended or real-world physical product, system or process) are a few exciting opportunities with a multitude of uses.
What’s Up in the Economy, Business, Manufacturing & Supply Chain?
It is a whirlwind and confusing. Here is a quote that sums it up perfectly: From a salesperson at a client recapping the conversations at a recent industry conference - Everyone is skeptical, but we are all seeing orders and backlog remain pretty robust.
The Economy & Manufacturing: What Do the Statistics Say?
According to this week's GDP report, the real growth rate was minimal (around 1.1%) during the first quarter. On the other hand, inflation remains high, around 5.3%. This seems to reflect stagflation. Unfortunately, business equipment spending was around -7.3%, and inventories are down. PMI (Purchasing Managers' Index), an [...]
Interconnection of People, Technology & Businesses
On a recent trip to Europe, I was fortunate to combine work with pleasure. Finland is diverse from Helsinki to the arctic circle, and we were thrilled to gain picturesque views of the northern lights. I was surprised there are multiple cruise ships that go from Helsinki to Estonia each day because the people and countries are interconnected.
West Coast Ports are Losing Volume: What Are the Successful Doing
According to PMSA (Pacific Merchant Shipping Association), the five big West Coast ports have lost volume - 702,083 fewer loads and empties were handled in January and February 2023 than in the same period pre-pandemic in 2019. This equates to close to a 16% reduction. Specifically, the Port of Long Beach was off by 18.7% from January 2019 [...]
Northern Lights, Husky Sleighs, & Stacking the Deck for Success
I went to Finland to see the northern lights, or the aurora borealis. Getting there is no piece of cake. We flew through London, took a 2-3 hour flight to Helsinki, Finland, and then took another flight to northern Finland (almost another 2 hours) and then drove 40 minutes to the resort (of course, north). It isn't for the faint of heart with temperatures in the negative numbers, requiring 6 or 7 layers minimum to allow you to stay outside for short bursts of time (although not very long as you'll start growing icicles), but the experience is worth it!
Silicon Valley Bank’s Failure Kicked Off a Liquidity Crisis
Silicon Valley Bank's Failure kicked off panic in the financial markets and banking system. They had too much money tied up in long term bonds paying at low interest rates, and they didn't have the liquidity to keep up with the depositors requests to take money out of the [...]
Take Control of Your Manufacturing to Wrestle Volatility to the Ground
What is clear is that VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) is continuing in the forefront and will continue to be our "new normal". As I recently debated with the Wall Street Journal, we are in an era of non-stop disruptions. Look no further than the escalating war of Russia [...]