@Risk

The California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010 is set to go into effect January 1, 2012.

Are you ready?

The new law, which will impose disclosure obligations on all retailers and manufacturers that do business in California and have annual gross receipts that exceed $100,000,000, is designed to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from its direct supply chain for tangible goods offered for sale.

As explained in detail here, the legislation will require these retailers and manufacturers to disclose how they: (more…)

Despite the economic roller coaster of the past few years –or perhaps because of it –Americans continue to value a strong manufacturing sector.

The third annual Public Viewpoint on Manufacturing survey, recently released by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, found once again that the vast majority of those polled consider America’s manufacturing base “important” or “very important” to their standard of living.

The research, which included a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Americans in August across all 50 states, indicates a consistently high regard for manufacturing, both in terms of its role in the US economy and our global standing, as well as in terms of its importance in job creation. Among the survey highlights: (more…)

Recent global events (civil unrest, volcanoes, the Japanese earthquake, etc.) have focused new attention on the importance of supply chain resilience. Incidents like these underscore how globalization has connected companies, suppliers, consumers and the world around them in new ways.

How should manufacturers respond to this intricate interdependence?  Are there specific steps they must take to achieve excellence in today’s connected marketplace?

A new whitepaper from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) deep dives into these questions and concludes that essentially, there are five key issues that play an important part in determining whether manufacturing companies will rise to the level of excellent, adequate or merely mediocre. Those five key issues are:

• Identifying and preventing supply chain risk
• Linking demand planning with the whole value chain
• Making customer and supplier collaboration real
• Addressing lifecycle opportunities and demonstrating sustainable value
• Attracting the people and skills needed for the future

In the report, PwC does a good job of breaking down the first bullet point, the task of identifying and preventing supply chain risk. Ultimately, the firm recommends that you mitigate supply chain risk by: (more…)

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), DIGITALEUROPE, and the Japanese Green Procurement Survey Standardization Initiative (JGPSSI) have released a ground-breaking new guide for the supply chain disclosure of substances used in packaging for the global sale and distribution of electronic products.

The first industry materials declaration guide of its kind, the Joint Industry Guide – Material Composition Declaration for Packaging of Electrotechnical Products – JIG-201 Ed. 1.0, represents industry-wide consensus on the relevant materials and substances that suppliers must disclose when those materials and substances are present in packaging that is used to transport and protect electrotechnical products. Manufacturers and other purchasers are required to have this data to: (more…)

Manufacturers in Britain are more optimistic about their industry than they were a year ago.

The Manufacturing Hazard Warning Report, recently released by Zurich Insurance plc, found that more than three-quarters of Britain’s manufacturers (78 percent) are feeling bullish, particularly because they are looking abroad for new opportunities.

Domestic demand remains at a stand-still, but the study revealed that UK manufacturers are turning to emerging markets, namely China and India.

Nearly half (47 percent) of those polled agreed the onus is on them, rather than government or regulators, to break into these new markets. However, 60 percent of the larger businesses said they feel exposed to the risks associated with emerging markets –clearly illustrating that heading into unknown territories involves both opportunities and challenges.

Interestingly, survey participants said the three most important factors in terms of business growth are:   (more…)