Cash is king, credit is scarce, and stubborn clouds of uncertainty refuse to dissipate. In this time, maintaining a strong balance sheet and an eye on cash flows is a prerequisite for business leaders seeking to master the twin near-term imperatives of viability and maneuverability.
Scrutiny on money flows outside the four walls of a company, [...]

[Read more →]

In recent years Low Cost Country Sourcing (LCCS) has been a huge initiative in many sourcing organizations resulting in relationships with suppliers in regions like China. Riding on this wave is the call for companies to have a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the consumers who purchase their products. This is not just [...]

[Read more →]

Toyota consistently ranks among the most respected global corporations and is well-known for their manufacturing prowess and strong supplier ties. That’s exactly why this week’s news about the accelerator problems for 4 million vehicles came as a shock to so many of us. The impact of this episode will be long-term, far-reaching, [...]

[Read more →]

Regardless of who might have authorship rights (Pimco? Ariba? Others?), the concept of “The New Normal” has definitely caught on in both the mainstream media and spend management circles .
However, it’s important to remember that “the New Normal” doesn’t translate directly to “permanent low GDP growth” as has been put forth by some investment advisors.
Instead, [...]

[Read more →]

A lot of Supply Excellence readers are members of the Strategic Sourcing & Procurement Group on LinkedIn and may have seen the lively discussion in December on how the Group can become a more valuable resource in 2010. Out of that discussion, the idea to have regular conference calls to tap into the Group’s collective [...]

[Read more →]