Previous Supply Excellence posts have highlighted the challenges of hiring and retaining skilled supply management professionals and the increase in talent poaching as a result of these issues. Last week, former General Electric chief Jack Welch and his wife, Suzy, former editor at Harvard Business Review (HBR), chimed in with simple, straightforward advice: the best way [more]

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As I was preparing yesterday’s post on the short-lived talks of a GM-Ford alliance, news reports emerged that Chrysler was reporting production cut backs and new supply management measures in response to its profitability problems.
DaimlerChrysler CEO Dieter Zetsche blamed the North American group’s poor performance on several factors, including a gross misjudgement on the impact higher fuel prices would [more]

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There was a brief moment of excitement among investors yesterday when news reports revealed that Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corp. were having discussions of a possible merger. The talks, first outed by Automotive News, likely sent shockwaves through the supplier community, most of whom have already felt the pinch of production cutbacks and [more]

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On Friday, I shared Dave Anderson’s secrets to making the perfect pitch to secure support, resources, and budget for any supply management initiative. For evidence of the effectiveness of Dave’s techniques, look no further than Alliant Techsystems (ATK).The $3.4 billion manufacturer of space systems, weapons, and ammunition is undertaking a massive overhaul of its strategic [more]

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Empower 2006 got off to a bustling start with an edgy and informative keynote presentation from Dave Anderson, founding partner of the venture capital firm Supply Chain Venture. As managing partner of Accenture’s Supply Chain Consulting Practice, Dave practically defined supply chain and management practices. In his more recent role as VC, Dave hears hundreds [more]

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