Tag: Productivity

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News You Can Use: 12/2/2015

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  • Would 50% of all procurement professionals really choose a different career?

    Once again, a certain level of job dissatisfaction within any sector is nothing new. However, the 50% number should be of concern to those occupying the executive suite both within, and external to the procurement industry. After all, it is hard to operate at maximum capacity when half your team is disenchanted and/or disengaged.

    https://procureinsights.wordpress.com/2015/11/23/would-50-of-all-procurement-professionals-really-choose-a-different-career/

  • Your Company Was Acquired. Now What?

    In my transition out of my company and my move into that of a board member, their team was pleased to see how well I had adapted from being the sole decision-maker into a role that was a bit more low-key, yet still highly influential. My philosophy is the same as when I ran my business. I listen more, speak less and let the team fail or succeed on their own merits. I have trust that they have the company’s best interests in mind and will succeed.

    http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/253177

  • Nestle admits to supply chain problems

    The investigation began at the tail end of 2014, according to the source. Around the same time, reports from the AP “tied brutal and largely unregulated working conditions to their shrimp, prawn and Purina-brand pet foods.”

    Apparently, many of the laborers come from poorer areas such as Myanmar and Cambodia, upon arrival they are charged a fee to work and then are trapped into working off unreasonable payments, explained the AP.

    http://www.strategicsourceror.com/2015/11/nestle-admits-to-supply-chain-problems.html

  • 7 Traits That Define Work Productivity Superstars

    5. Builds a reservoir of goodwill without asking for anything in return
    Good business and good working relationships must always be seen as unconditional, meaning not motivated by an expectation of future payback. The result will be people and organizations wanting to help you, rather than feeling an obligation to contribute.

    http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/253149

  • Do You Know the Rules for Ethical Supplier Interaction?

    Donations for charitable organizations are less obvious because everyone just wants to help a good cause, and what does it hurt if a supplier makes a decision to support your favourite charity? Well, it depends. How much? Does the supplier expect favouritism for the donation? Will the donation unconsciously bias you toward the supplier? Will there be a perception of bias? It’s tough.

    http://sourcinginnovation.com/wordpress/2015/11/27/do-you-know-the-rules-for-ethical-supplier-interaction/

  • Big Data: The Latest Rage in Supply Chain Management

    We’ve found with our clients, again and again, that big data can have a measurable impact on driving greater accuracy in planning, ensuring that companies make the right amount of the right product. Advanced algorithms and machine learning can facilitate increased forecast accuracy across a company’s SKUs, which drives greater turns, less waste, less inventory, and fewer stock-outs, which leads to higher EBITDA, lower working capital, and greater competitiveness.

    http://ww2.cfo.com/supply-chain/2015/11/big-data-latest-rage-supply-chain-management/

Photo: Adrianna Calvo

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News You Can Use: 10/7/2015

sn_moon_Angelina Litvin

  • Why Sweden Is Shifting To A 6-Hour Workday

    Everyone who works at the company suddenly has more energy. “The biggest response that I couldn’t foresee was the energy level I felt with my colleagues,” he says. “They were happy leaving the office and happy coming back the next day. They didn’t feel drained or fatigued. That has also helped the work groups to work better together now, when we see less conflicts and arguments. People are happier.”

    http://www.fastcoexist.com/3051448/why-sweden-is-shifting-to-a-6-hour-work-day

  • Where’s the Beef in the Information Supply Chain?

    Insert contract clauses into new agreements that allow monitoring and enforcement while creating incentives and penalties for non-compliance regarding CSR areas. Consider having suppliers pay for monitoring and enforcement if necessary as part of requirements if you are a large enough buyer.

    https://www.enterpriseirregulars.com/102232/wheres-beef-information-supply-chain/

  • WHY DO EMPLOYERS EXPECT MORE OF ENTRY-LEVEL EMPLOYEES THAN EVER BEFORE?

    “In my first meeting with the executive director, he was asking me about what classes I had taken, and he asked if I had taken a database class in college, and I did, and he said, ‘Okay, good, then you can oversee this project of designing and implementing a new communication database for us,” he says. “That was the first time I was ever brought into a project I had little or no knowledge about, and was expected to deliver results.”

    http://www.fastcompany.com/3051716/hit-the-ground-running/why-are-employers-expecting-more-of-entry-level-employees

  • IoT will be key technology to optimize inventory management, says IDC

    Firms are taking charge of their inventory management and supply chain, and IoT – along with mobile, big data and cloud computing – will help them do that. These technologies are enabling inventory visibility across the network and driving enhanced collaboration throughout the supply chain.

    http://www.fiercemobileit.com/story/iot-will-be-key-technology-optimize-inventory-management-says-idc/2015-09-28

  • Zuckerberg, Musk and Gates Have a Not-So-Secret Productivity Hack – Work Constantly

    Musk, who divides his week between SpaceX and Tesla Motors, has also perfected the art of multitasking: he sends emails while scanning invoices, holds meetings and takes care of business on his phone at the same time, and even texts with his children on his lap (an admission that gathered no small amount of criticism from the public). While he officially clocks in no more than 15 hours at the office, he has said that he doesn’t ever stop working. With these round-the-clock responsibilities, it seems understandable that the most effective way to save time is by doing everything at once.

    http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/251020

Photo: Angelina Litvin

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News You Can Use: 7/1/2015

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  • 6 Life Hacks Learned in Prison That Will Maximize Your Productivity

    I’ve learned to think diligently about my thoughts, and use them to communicate more effectively. Writing can help you organize your thoughts better and actually helps you to be a better verbal communicator. Start with communicating to your team via email, send emails to partners about discussions and/or send emails to your spouse when working through tough decisions.

    http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/247779?ctp=BizDev&src=Syndication&msc=Feedly

  • The Rise Of Trust (And Speed) In Supplier Enablement (Coupa’s Adam Alphin to look at the future of supplier enablement.)

    Simply put, it’s injected trust into a conversation that previously felt like buyers were cornering or holding hostage their supply base. This trust has resulted in higher engagement, much higher participation in e-invoicing, and get this…suppliers becoming change agents within our customers organizations! We believe the conversation must change from “Here is a web portal that you’ll be charged to use, you’re now required to use it to be our supplier” to “Here are our business objectives we think are in both of our best interest, here are a series of tools we’re providing (for free!) so we can help each other achieve those objectives.”

    http://www.procurementleaders.com/blog/my-blog–guest-blog/the-rise-of-trust-and-speed-in-supplier-enablement-547830

  • ‘The Irrigation Effect’: Why Your Employees Aren’t Getting the Message

    Many leaders are surprised to learn that they are the barriers.  We assume that we’ve communicated effectively when, in reality, the information we share is sparse, insufficient, infrequent, or simply inaccurate. Keep in mind that between the source of the water and the end of the row, the water may have to pass through multiple channels before it arrives.  If managers don’t make a conscious effort to facilitate the flow of information, rather than obstruct it, vital communication is likely to dissipate before reaching those parts of the field where it is needed most.

    http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240849?ctp=BizDev&src=Syndication&msc=Feedly

  • Supply Chain Talent Crisis Looms

    Years of headcount reduction, training budget cuts, and the retirement of highly skilled individuals have all contributed to the shortage of supply chain talent. At the same time, a combination of accelerating technology development and widespread experimentation with new operating models are expanding the scope of supply chain operations, creating a demand for new types of supply chain employees—a trend that is only expected to accelerate in the future. “Margins are so thin in many industries that any technology or operational change that can provide a competitive advantage—whether its 3D printing or advanced analytics—is critical. And those capabilities are inherently dependent on talent,” explains Kelly Marchese, a principal and supply chain leader with Deloitte Consulting LLP.

    http://deloitte.wsj.com/cio/2015/06/25/supply-chain-talent-crisis-looms/
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  • Are the days of global supply chains numbered?

    In Global Supply Chains: New Directions, the Standard Chartered Bank acknowledges that several macroeconomic trends, such as increasing urbanization, more sophisticated communications technology, and lower oil prices, continue to support the growth of global supply chains. Yet at the same time, other trends are creating a sort of headwind that is slowing the pace of growth. For example, automation and robotics are improving, making it easier for companies to stop chasing low-cost labor abroad and bring their manufacturing operations back to local markets. Increasing concerns about sustainability and the high carbon footprint of global supply chains may also be dampening global supply chain growth. Some companies are interested in shortening their supply chains to avoid the risk of disruptions due to a natural disaster or civil unrest half a world away.

    http://www.supplychainquarterly.com/news/20150624-are-the-days-of-global-supply-chains-numbered/

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Productivity Bulletin: 1/30/2015

Photo: Sean MacEntee, Flickr