By Shefali Kapadia Around the Bob’s Discount Furniture office, corporate has a saying: “Value is always in vogue,” according to Ramesh Murthy, the retailer’s COO. That philosophy has enabled Bob’s to expand at a time when the overall home retail category is stagnating. Furniture and home furnishings store sales have fallen since their peak of $12.7Continue reading “How Bob’s, Ikea are bucking the trend of furniture retail stagnation”
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Universities are tailoring supply chain courses to prepare students for the industry’s AI revolution
By Shefali Kapadia At The Ohio State University, students attend lectures on generative AI and predictive analytics for supply chain management. At Georgia Tech, supply chain leaders can take a “Generative AI Application for Supply Chain Professionals” course. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers a summer immersive called AI in Supply Chain and Logistics Management.Continue reading “Universities are tailoring supply chain courses to prepare students for the industry’s AI revolution”
Companies’ biggest barrier to AI isn’t tech — it’s employee pushback. Here’s how to overcome it.
By Shefali Kapadia When leaders at Colgate-Palmolive were ready to roll out an AI Hub for employees this past summer, they knew exactly what they wanted to avoid: a small group of people implementing an AI strategy assuming they knew the best use cases for each department and pushing an AI system onto the restContinue reading “Companies’ biggest barrier to AI isn’t tech — it’s employee pushback. Here’s how to overcome it.”
Companies large and small are using AI for employee onboarding. It can save HR days of time.
By Shefali Kapadia When your organization has nearly 300,000 global employees across the US, Japan, and Europe, many of whom work remotely, how do you manage onboarding new hires? That scenario presented Hitachi with challenges to keep new employees engaged, but also an opportunity to overhaul its onboarding with an AI digital assistant this pastContinue reading “Companies large and small are using AI for employee onboarding. It can save HR days of time.”
Testing 1, 2, 3: How CPGs get more sustainable packaging to store shelves
By Shefali Kapadia Anyone who ordered an old fashioned or whiskey sour at the Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s 1820 bar in Edinburgh last fall may have noticed something unusual. The whiskey in the drink tasted the same, but it was poured from a different kind of bottle – a 90% paper-based bottle the brand wasContinue reading “Testing 1, 2, 3: How CPGs get more sustainable packaging to store shelves”
Merchants maneuver as Visa enforces surcharge program
By Shefali Kapadia Nearly two years after Visa began cracking down on surcharges, payments processors and independent sales organizations say they have a better understanding and sense of clarity on the network’s rules. At that time, Visa imposed a credit card surcharge cap of 3%, down from the previous cap of 4%. Many in the industry found communicationContinue reading “Merchants maneuver as Visa enforces surcharge program”
Truck driving: A diverse, but not inclusive, industry
By Shefali Kapadia Women make up only about 10% of truck drivers, by some estimates. Several organizations have sprung up, focused on addressing female drivers’ unique needs and concerns on the road. One of those organizations is REAL Women in Trucking (RWIT), founded by truck driver Desiree Wood after she saw firsthand the many dangers on the road. We caught up withContinue reading “Truck driving: A diverse, but not inclusive, industry”
From lotions to linens: How hotel marketplaces can boost guest loyalty
By Shefali Kapadia Four Seasons’ bed linens and JW Marriott’s shampoo aren’t just for guests staying in the hotels anymore. The items are available for sale on dedicated websites, so customers can cozy up in Four Seasons sheets at home, or wash their hair with JW Marriott Ylang Ylang Shampoo in their own shower. ForContinue reading “From lotions to linens: How hotel marketplaces can boost guest loyalty”
6 months after Baltimore’s bridge collapse, lessons are emerging for a rebuild
By Shefali Kapadia A key feature is missing over the Patapsco River in Baltimore. The water still glistens, and cargo ships still pass by on their way in and out of the port. But the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which had spanned the river since 1977, is no longer there. In March, a container ship crashed into oneContinue reading “6 months after Baltimore’s bridge collapse, lessons are emerging for a rebuild”
Can canned food outlast competition from flexible plastic alternatives?
By Shefali Kapadia When Sonoco announced plans to acquire European metal packaging specialist Eviosys in a nearly $4 billion deal this summer, the packaging giant made its intentions clear: It was betting big on metal food cans. At a time when novel materials and formats are proliferating in packaging and food companies rely on innovation to drive sales inContinue reading “Can canned food outlast competition from flexible plastic alternatives?”
SHEFALI KAPADIA 