We alert our Ferrari Consulting and Research Group clients and our Supply Chain Matters readership that our Q2 2017 Newsletter published yesterday and should be in the email inboxes of those who have subscribed. 

Our latest newsletter is a week or so late because of our summer pause in July. We also noted in reviewing our initial distribution numbers this morning, that many of our subscribers are also taking summer vacation this and next week as-well. Consider this posting as a reminder to look for our Newsletter when you return.

The Q2 Newsletter includes our usual highlights of quantitative global supply chain activity as well as highlights of significant Q2 events, which turned out to be rather active and significant. They included:

  • The ramifications and fallout among traditional retailers after results of the 2016 holiday fulfillment period. Events included the blockbuster announcement from Amazon regarding its intent to acquire natural foods grocery chain Whole Foods.
  • Critical high-profile and high-visibility product supply chain ramp-ups underway at Apple and Tesla.
  • Continued global transportation industry developments with an emphasis on the ocean container shipping industry.
  • Global contract manufacturer Foxconn’s announcement of a significant production factory investment in the United States.
  • A widespread global cyberattack impacting certain global transportation.
  • The UPS announcement of new parcel surcharges on holiday-related shipments that FedEx declined to match.

Among other Newsletter articles for Q2-2017:

  • Companies Generating Profits but Holding the Lid on Spending and Investment- A summary of an analysis by The Wall Street Journal of profits among S&P 500 companies that conclude that many companies remain lean in spending and investment while continuing to view near-term returns to shareholders as an active strategy. We add our viewpoint that industry supply chains are caught in the middle of such dynamics.

 

  • Stronger Signs of the Supply Chain Talent Perfect Storm- Reinforcing our 2017 Prediction of a supply chain talent perfect storm, recent hiring and employment data concerning both the United States and the Eurozone point to the highest levels of job openings in decades, implying that manufacturing and supply chain related job skills and talent are indeed proving to be harder to find, and that talented and skilled individuals have more choices in the job market.

 

Registered subscribers to this blog and existing clients automatically receive a copy of our quarterly newsletter.  If you are not signed-up and would like a copy of our latest newsletter, please send an email with the title Newsletter Request to:

newsletter <at> supply-chain-matters <dot> com.

Please remember to include your Name, Role and/or company with your email address and we will have a copy sent directly as well as automatically add your email to future distribution.  As a reminder, our policy is to not sell or disclose any individual subscriber data to any third parties.

Thanks again for your continued readership.

Bob Ferrari, Founder, and Executive Editor

© Copyright 2017. The Ferrari Consulting and Research Group and the Supply Chain Matters® blog. All rights reserved.

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