Entries tagged as supply chain

Is it global warming or just a bad year? Record temperatures in Russia this summer triggered Russian government’s response of stopping the export of wheat. As Mr. Putin put it in Russian – reserves don’t hurt ones pocket. As we live in the all connected world this decision caused significant waves in food supplies and futures trading. The decision immediately triggered a sharp rise in the value of futures for delivery of wheat in the world. At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the December futures on wheat rose by $ 0.6 - to $ 8.155 a bushel. The global prices on wheat rose 7.3%.

When it comes to expanding your business internationally, logistics can make or break the entire operation. You can find a great supplier, negotiate great prices, goods quality and terms of payment . But if you can’t get the goods you need shipped to the customer as expected all your efforts can end up with nothing. 

An all out battle with fish is taking place in the states surrounding Great Lakes and in Canada. Extreme measures are taken to stop Asian carp from entering the waters of Great Lakes which can have a huge detrimental effect on the ecosystem and the fishing industry. Interestingly enough the problem is completely man made.  

Auto sales were one of the first hit by the economic crisis in 2009 and even such well known for their quality brands like Toyota and Honda were not exempt. The only company out of the top 5 car manufacturers not to follow this trend is Hyundai Motor, a company that only few years ago was mainly known for its so-so but affordable cars. The mere fact that Hyundai is in the top 5 speaks volumes about their commitment to succeed and to quality in particular.

As a Motortrend subscriber I am carefully watching the on-going debate about the infrastructure required to sustain major changes in the car technology. Whether we are talking about fuel cell, hydrogen or battery based electric vehicles the supporting infrastructure was always the main obstacle. Project Better Place, another company started in Israel, introduces new approach that effectively addresses this issue.