It is a known fact that we are in a new ‘world economy’, not through governments but on the level of common businesses. Many small and mid-size companies need a how-to course on interacting with larger businesses. Of course doing business in such a diverse environment is a trial unto itself as we’ve seen with a major US economic collapse and a 100% rise in oil prices. Continue reading
Selection of key subcontractors on a program is very important and many times can make the difference between program success and failure. One approach that I have used to ensure the selected subcontractor is a good choice is a BVA (Best Value Assessment) process. The process starts with an RFP (Request For Proposal) that is sent to candidate qualified subcontractors. The process is a combination of objective and subjective judgments. Continue reading
Over the last few decades there have been drastic upheavals in the manufacturing industry as a whole. But now the alarming increase of counterfeiting has surfaced to threaten the global supply chain. Is the criminal underground solely to blame? Or has the manufacturing industry unknowingly but directly contributed to this growing gray business?
This growth of counterfeiting can be attributed to the following forces: Continue reading
Many companies whether they be manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers or service providers are continually failing to grasp an important aspect of their supply chain – transportation and the liabilities / risks involved. It no longer matters if you are shipping domestically or internationally one should not ignore the risk of not managing the transportation aspect of your organization. To paraphrase an old football adage; “the defensive opponent may know what’s coming, but with correct offensive execution they can’t stop the play”.
Let’s assume you are a small company that wants to grow the business by soliciting subcontracts from a major prime contractor. What unknown risks may be in store for your company in pursuing this path. I will tell you what some of the risks are including an example and suggest ways to mitigate them. Continue reading