Sometimes you come across a business story that just makes you feel good.

That's the way I felt today when I read this article about how upstart high-tech retailer Micro Center has boosted revenue by nearly 150%.

How did they do this? They used "old-fashioned customer service".

I don't know why it's old fashioned - but apparently focusing on the needs of the customer continually and finding a way to be of service to them actually contributes to business success. Who would have thunk it? Read More »

Supply Chain Digest's venerable Dan Gilmore contemplates the meaning of Inventory Optimization in his First Thoughts piece today. As usual it is a thoughtful treatise, and he concisely captures the obective of optimization: 

The ultimate goal: having the right amount of inventory, in just the right places, to meet customer service and revenue goals - but no more than that.

Read More »

I just received this in the mail today. This survey was commissioned in March of 2008 on behalf of NYSE Euronext by Time Inc. Content Solutions and was conducted by Opinion Research Corp. 254 CEOs responded - approximately 72% from the US and a majority from companies whose market value exceeds $1 billion.

Not surprisingly, almost all (around 90%) of respondents rate US economic conditions as fair/poor. This differs completely from last year's point of view and is less than that of the American public.

What is surprising though is the answer to this question:

Which internal f ... Read More »