APICS e-News

Consumer opinion and action don’t always align, Supply Chain Management Review reports. The publication looks at the IBM Institute for Business Value study, which analyzed four years of survey data from more than 110,000 consumers in 19 countries.

Shake Shack, the US burger chain that announced its intent to go public last week, says its Russian licensee has had to switch suppliers because of sanctions against imports, Bloomberg News reports.

New rules take effect January 1 that will require greater compliance in the pharmaceutical supply chain, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Despite four-year low gasoline prices giving consumers an estimated $40 billion in spending money for the holiday season, finance officers are reluctant to raise earnings forecasts to reflect the increased spending power, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Middle-skills jobs—those that require a high school diploma but not a four-year college degree—are going unfilled, with numbers in the millions, a report from Accenture, Burning Glass Technologies, and the Harvard Business School reveals.

Despite a stagnant economy, eurozone countries are increasingly engaging in reshoring, the Financial Times reports. According to research by PwC, about two-thirds of non-finance companies in Europe have reshored some activities in the last year.

Suppliers prove to be a weak point for companies concerned with cyber security, the Financial Times reports. For example, the attack on Target last year that compromised more than 70 million customers’ details was caused by criminals who used a Target refrigeration supplier’s access to breach the system.

Trucking firms around the country are struggling with a driver shortage and are using incentives, including higher wages, to attract new drivers.

Compared to the average domestic business, US manufacturers spend about twice per employee on compliance with federal regulations, according to a study by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

Where will the next hacking crisis strike? According to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), a division of the International Chamber of Commerce, the maritime and shipping supply chain is a major area of concern.

Logistics and transportation companies particularly struggle to meet customers’ needs for technology and talent, CFO reports.

New safety rules will soon go into effect for oil trains in the United States, a response to the rise of shale oil transport due to fracking, Reuters reports.

As port laborers and terminal operators continue contract talks on the US West Coast, retailers are preparing for potential disruptions by bringing in more holiday merchandise, Forbes reports.

As construction is underway on a project to widen the Panama Canal, which would enable large cargo vessels to pass through to the East Coast, many ports along the West Coast are scrambling to adapt, the New York Times reports.

Despite a series of heavily publicized automobile recalls by General Motors (GM) in 2014, Bloomberg Businessweek reports that, over the last five years, the biggest source of product recalls is not GM but its Japanese rival, Toyota.

A railcar shortage is plaguing farmers, automakers, and oil companies, but it may be a boon to railcar manufacturers and supporting industries, the Wall Street Journal reports.

A fungus known as coffee rust so far has caused more than $1 billion in damage across Latin America, affecting yields of the Arabica coffee bean, which is used in most high-end and specialty coffees. Now, the US government is increasing efforts to help farmers fight the disease, the Associated Press reports.

The US aerospace and defense industries are seeing greater numbers of mergers and acquisitions, company leaders choosing to combine forces as budgets are cut and tougher times are expected ahead, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Despite being in the middle of a supermarket discount war, many UK suppliers say they are breathing easy, Reuters reports. Major British chains Tesco, Asda, and Morrisons are slashing prices to compete with fast-growing Germany-based discounters. However, at least for now, these companies are not squeezing their suppliers for the reduced prices.

As the amount of data companies have to handle grows, the analytics talent required to understand this data is outstripping supply, the Financial Times reports. “We have seen a significant year-on-year increase in the demand for data scientists in both the [United Kindgom] and overseas,” says Jon Palling, global sector head for technology at recruiting group SThree.