Manufacturing health check
Another story about a US company going against the trend and "on-shoring" to shorten supply times, improve quality and certainty, and gain control over their operations. Forward thinking companies in developed economies are starting to recognise that manufacturing is...
On customer service and empty stables.
Last week I had a problem with my mobile internet connection when changing plans. Usually a simple process, something went array in the supplier, and I could not connect and as the "new improved" plan rolled into service, I had nothing, at a most inconvenient time. I...
Carbon tax agnostic
I am getting pretty sick of being told by blathering pollies and nuts from both sides that I am either: 1. An ignorant climate change skeptic, or 2. A proponent of a new tax that will the "roon of us all" Both are wrong, I am neither, yet there appears to be no...
Is this the death-knell of brands?
How does a branded product withstand the power of a retailer duopoly that controls 65% of Australia's supermarkets? That question has exercised the minds of proprietary FMCG brand owners for over 30 years, since the first house-branded "No Frills" products...
Branding for a “war”.
What sort of goose named the US operation against Libya as "Operation Odyssey Dawn"? OK, they might have had PR trouble calling it "Operation kill Gadhafi " or "Operation Sandman mash", but Odyssey Dawn??? Who are they kidding? The US military has guidelines that...
Innovation “carpark”
This is an expression I have used for many years, it is just a metaphor for never throwing out an idea, leave it available for scrutiny later when you know more, or for parts to build something different, or just for inspiration when building the portfolio of projects...
“Our greatest asset”
An often heard claim, but leaders mean it, managers just mouth it. Creating and nurturing a process of performance assessment should be a focal task of a leader, as it puts money in the bank over time. However, it is hard, confronting, and time consuming work,...
Aspirin for the social media marketing headache
Sorting the approaches and options emerging for on line marketing using social tools is sufficiently complicated to make your head break. Logically, you use the net to try and sort out what is best for you under the circumstances you face, as the net is now the first...
Happy “26th”, internet.
Today, March 15 is the 26th birthday of the internet as we know it. The first domain name, Symbolics.com, was registered on March 15 1985, and still exists. From this humble beginning, just a generation ago has risen the greatest force for change since people...
Untangling the carbon tangle.
If Australia was a business, considering the challenge of what to do about of carbon emissions would have a couple of characteristics that would have engaged the country's boardroom: It is pretty obvious that some legislative framework will emerge to address what is a...