Lead Category Manager Mike Petro explains how non-price factors indicate a shift from buyer’s to seller’s market conditions.

This segment is a clip from the LinkedIn Strategic Sourcing & Procurement group member conference call on commodities. You can stream the full replay here (embedded player top center). Request to join the group here.
Justin Fogarty is Managing [...]

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Yesterday, Apple confirmed that they purchased Intrinsity, a small company in Austin, TX known for their very fast performing mobile device chips. The NYTimes reports that the move helps Apple’s products, such as the iPad, hold a ~50% edge over competitors in terms of processing speed since the Intrinsity designed chip runs at about 1,000 [...]

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Buyers of chemicals always need to know what’s happening in their markets, and more importantly what will happen, to make informed purchasing decisions. The problem is that forecasting chemicals markets is more of an art than a science, and well-structured (but subsequently erroneous) predictions have made some of the best analysts look like novices [...]

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This week, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) released their manufacturing and services numbers for December. The non-manufacturing (services) number came in at 50.1%, which was right around expectations. While it did move slightly into the “growth” region (above 50), it certainly did not blow away the street and indicate that all is on the [...]

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While the past 12 months represent the most trying economic climate since the Great Depression with hardships experienced seemingly around every turn, from a strategic sourcing perspective, the recession can best be summed up in one word - opportunity. With commodity prices plummeting almost across the board and suppliers desperate for business, the strategic [...]

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