564 Posts Found

The story of how TAL Apparel Group grew from a single textile mill in Hong Kong to its current status as a global powerhouse in apparel design, manufacturing, and logistics, is a prime example of how synchronization – the simultaneous and highly efficient coordination of far-flung supply chain, product development, and marketing and sales activities with customers and suppliers – can provide not only the … [ Read more ]

Content: Case Study | Source: Deloitte | Subjects: Industry Specific, Operations | Industry: Apparel | Company: TAL Apparel Group

With the problem of human-capital cost hikes reaching critical proportions, CFO devotes an entire issue to health care, retirement plans, IT/outsourcing, and perks.

Editor’s Note: topical and US-centric, but of value to those who care about these things…

Content: Article | Source: CFO Publishing | Subjects: Human Resources, Outsourcing / BPO

Gung ho for going global? Make sure to look beyond labor costs. Specifically, three major variables should be considered:
1. Transportation Cost
2. Capital Intensity
3. Lead Time

Content: Article | Author: Tim Laseter | Source: strategy+business | Subjects: Management, Outsourcing / BPO

For many industries, the proportion of overall procurement needs sourced from low-cost countries will double within five years. But it’s a complex technique, demanding great flexibility and a careful balancing of often competing interests within a company. Here are some successful strategies.

Content: Article | Author: Kris Timmermans | Source: Outlook Journal (Accenture) | Subject: Outsourcing / BPO

Bargaining clout and technology are no longer the only keys to supply chain bliss.

Content: Article | Author: Erik Sherman | Source: Chief Executive | Subjects: IT / Technology / E-Business, Operations

In World Class Manufacturing, Schonberger tells the success stories of nearly 100 American corporations — including Hewlett-Packard, Harley-Davidson, General Motors, Honeywell, and Uniroyal — that have adopted the famed just-in-time production and “total quality control” strategies. Based on his firsthand experience as a major consultant to American industry, he examines how they did it — and illustrates how the same concrete, specific steps used by … [ Read more ]

Content: Book | Author: Richard J. Schonberger | Subjects: Industry Specific, Operations | Industry: Manufacturing

Outsourcing services to a third party is typically done to reduce costs. But it also holds many hidden risks. Our best-practice research shows how managers can address these risks and move beyond a cost focus to create value that delights customers.

Content: Article | Authors: Andrew Chadwick-Jones, David Bovet | Source: Mercer Management Journal | Subjects: IT / Technology / E-Business, Outsourcing / BPO

Among the many issues that make supply chain effectiveness challenging are complexity in mass customization, product line proliferation, shorter product life cycles, pressure for faster innovation, stress from quicker technology cycles, tougher, non-negotiable service levels, extended global supply chains, abundant channels and markets, and business cycle variability. With 40 to 70 percent of costs embedded in the typical supply chain, it is critical that companies … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Authors: Dermot Shorten, Harriet Engel, Keith Oliver | Source: strategy+business | Subject: Operations

Though outsourcing is booming, many users say they’re less satisfied than they used to be.

Table Of Contents:
* Special Report: Outsourcers Lose Luster
* Indian Outsourcers Grow Fast, Gain Prominence
* The Rise of Business Process Outsourcing
* Outsourcing Outlook: Exclusive data on the cost of outsourcing
* Try our interactive tool and find out how 12 major outsourcers fared in customer rankings
* … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Author: Paul McDougall | Source: InformationWeek | Subjects: IT / Technology / E-Business, Outsourcing / BPO

Demand-driven manufacturing is radically altering how some businesses serve customers.

Content: Article | Author: John Goff | Source: CFO Publishing | Subjects: Management, Operations

Migrating costs to low-cost countries (LCCs) has moved from being an “interesting idea” to an imperative for most industrial companies, but it’s a “must do” that too often is managed with ambivalence. On the one hand, companies see it as a critical piece of their cost strategy; on the other, too many firms seem to attempt it only half-heartedly. They aren’t sure which costs to … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Authors: Suvir Varma, Ted Rouse, Till Vestring, Uwe Reinert | Source: Bain & Company | Subjects: Management, Outsourcing / BPO

More companies than ever have experience with outsourcing. So why are deals still failing?

Content: Article | Author: Don Durfee | Source: CFO Publishing | Subjects: IT / Technology / E-Business, Outsourcing / BPO

Far from damaging the economy of the United States, offshoring should enable its companies to direct resources to next-generation technologies and ideas-if public policy doesn’t get in the way.

Editor’s Note: I admit I am not smart enough to fully get my arms around all the issues involved in the debate over offshoring; this article presents one of the strongest and most detailed pro-offshoring (outsourcing) … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Authors: Diana Farrell, Martin N. Baily | Source: McKinsey Quarterly | Subjects: Economics, Outsourcing / BPO

Outsourcing isn’t new, but the business theory behind outsourcing has never been more relevant to HR functions than today. Leadership is increasingly looking to HR for human capital strategies to help accomplish business goals. It is not enough that HR programs are efficient, effective, and competitively priced; management wants to see a return on these investments — through increased productivity, decreased turnover, and bottom-line improvements. … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Source: Mercer Human Resource Consulting | Subjects: Human Resources, Outsourcing / BPO

Long the world’s factory, China is now becoming an attractive offshore location for IT offshoring (ITO) and business process offshoring (BPO). These markets are expected to grow as the Chinese government continues to entice foreign multinationals. Similarly, Chinese-based ITO and BPO providers are working to improve their capabilities to capture business from multinationals in the United States and Europe.

This paper highlights findings in
A.T. Kearney’s … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Source: Kearney | Subjects: International – China, Outsourcing / BPO

Forget traditional supply chain management. Managers must be responsible for the earning power and productivity of the assets in their trust, not just cost control.

Content: Article | Author: Jonathan Byrnes | Source: Harvard Business School (HBS) Working Knowledge | Subject: Operations

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Why “Operations Research” is the hidden key to making informed decisions with less risk and better outcomes.

Content: Article | Author: Mary Crissey | Source: BetterManagement.com | Subject: Operations