By Tom Rentschler
In Forbes Magazine, publisher Rich Karlgaard, whom I've had the privilege of getting to know over the course of my career, challenged us in his recent Innovation Rules column to understand that winning companies "excel in both the hard stuff and the soft stuff of business." Whether you think of this dichotomy as tangibles and intangibles, science and art, left brain and right brain, or yin and yang, the truly great companies (e.g., Apple) have gained mastery over both sides of the equation. 

 

By Dinah Wisenberg Brin
The defense supply chain is vulnerable to potential malicious tampering of electronic chips used in key military systems, a new report from a Brookings Institution senior fellow warns, noting that chips also are ubiquitous in the broader power, finance, communications and transportation infrastructure.

 

Joseph A. Sedlak, industry pioneer and founder of Sedlak Management Consultants Inc., passed away on September 9th at age 90.

 

By Christie Lagowski
When choosing a hoist for your material handling needs, there are a lot of options to choose from, such as electric chain, wire rope and manual hoists. Not only is the type of hoist important, but you also need to consider the manufacturer and the unique benefits of the specific hoist.

 

Finding a qualified manufacturing and supply chain workforce is becoming more and more of a challenge. An investment in students today will help to create a talent pool for the future. A great way to make this investment is a donation to The Material Handling Education Foundation, Inc. (MHEFI) to fund scholarships supporting the study of material handling, logistics and the supply chain.

 

From MHI Solutions
Since 1999, the Panama Canal has attracted more and more traffic. Supply chain strategists are all looking at the Panama Canal expansion to see what effect the expanded Panama Canal will have on business.

 

Patagonia Inc., the outdoor apparel company, is the latest firm to announce plans to offer Fair Trade Certified™ products starting with nine apparel styles in the Fall 2014 season. The Fair Trade Certified label helps consumers make purchasing choices, with the confidence that the product is socially and environmentally sustainable. While best known for coffee, Fair Trade Certified has grown to encompass many products, from tea to chocolate to body care to wine, and now apparel.

 

An Iowa State University assistant professor will be taking a second group of students to China next spring to get a first-hand look at global supply chain logistics. The long-distance field trip is part of Prof. Scott Grawe’s project to let his students see a retail supply chain from end to end.