At a recent conference an entrepreneur at the $25 million sales level mentioned that all the bigger organizations preferred to deal with $100 million level firms for purposes of supply chain rationalization. Quite understandable, but this does affect employment in US small businesses. Let's see how: Supply (procurement) managers buy goods and services that mustContinue reading “Supply Chain rationalization means fewer jobs in small businesses”
Category Archives: Small and Medium Industry
Paypal mobile payments for McDonald’s France can open up vast Indian retail opportunities
Paypal is testing mobile app payments for McDonald's in 30 restaurants in France. If it works, then there might be a roll-out to over 30,000 McDonald's worldwide. The number 30,000 sounded really small so here is a reality check. How many Starbucks are there in the world? Under 17,000 worldwide ,or just over half theContinue reading “Paypal mobile payments for McDonald’s France can open up vast Indian retail opportunities”
NASA Curiosity lands on Mars and creates high tech US jobs
NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover landed on Mars today and started sending back photos to great celebration at NASA, the US and across the world. Particularly encouraging is the news that much of the leading technology was developed and supplied by US suppliers. Here are some innovators that need congratulations apart from the NASA team andContinue reading “NASA Curiosity lands on Mars and creates high tech US jobs”
Making value explicit in innovation: Gillette razors last five weeks
If you spent 1 Billion $ in product development in a low-tech category like shaving razors with a powerful brand like Gillette, the shaving experience should be enough.It was true till the economy slowed. And Gillette market share dropped 3% between 2010 and 2012. And now Gillette is apparently revealing a razor industry secret, i.e. how long a shaving razor lasts according to Fortune. If you are wondering, its five weeks….
Understanding the Supply Chain in the knowledge age of search and social media
Thinking of the supply chain in a manufacturing setting is easy but understanding the supply chain in the knowledge economy of search and social media is more difficult. For example, if you make cars, you need to either make or buy its components. The sourcing of tires by an auto manufacturer is the classic B2BContinue reading “Understanding the Supply Chain in the knowledge age of search and social media”
Why do organizations find it so hard to update websites?
Ask small or large organizations- for profit, non-profit or government ones – and top managers will admit that their website could be better in both content and looks. Understanding why organizations find it so hard to update websites is useful. Here are five thoughts: "Bricks" organization legacy: Remember that any business that existed before 2000Continue reading “Why do organizations find it so hard to update websites?”
Apple: when US customers demand better treatment of Chinese workers in the global supply chain
The Nike child labor controversy surfaced in a 1996 Life magazine story and consumer outrage prompted big changes in the way Nike manages its global supply chain and all this took some time. In contrast, the New York Times story on labor practices at the Chinese supplier factories of Apple of just two weeks agoContinue reading “Apple: when US customers demand better treatment of Chinese workers in the global supply chain”
Doctor private practices are caught up in $1 Trillion health insurance B2B negotiations
Call it the mother of all high value B2B negotiations– estimated at $1 Trillion and 40% of total health-care spending in the US. This from research by Robin Lee of NYU who made a great presentation of his work at Yale School of Management, last month. When you hear of doctors going broke with privateContinue reading “Doctor private practices are caught up in $1 Trillion health insurance B2B negotiations”
Starbucks:raises prices promotes “Create jobs for USA”
What is the price of a small (called tall for that upbeat feel) Starbucks regular coffee ? Well, the Pike Place Roast does does come under $1.60 but it doesn't matter as most people order something much grander and spent over $6 on average per visit in 2008. Starbucks re-organized under founder Howard Schultz andContinue reading “Starbucks:raises prices promotes “Create jobs for USA””
Integrating web marketing to Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)
It was in the 1990's that IMC started getting popular in marketing. The Internet was just getting started and social media was in the distant horizon.By the early 2000's organizations particularly in consumer products started figuring out IMC between their packaging,billboards,TV ads,magazine and newspaper ads and Point of Sale materials. The time has now comeContinue reading “Integrating web marketing to Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)”