Even though manufacturers are taking steps to strengthen supply chains, more than half of those surveyed felt that they did not understand the performance of their tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers well enough to adequately assess financial viability. “Blind spots around the financial and operational viability of suppliers pose a tremendous risk to the […]

EVER since 3D printing—the ability to construct solid objects by building them up, a layer at a time, in plastic or metal—hit public consciousness a couple of years ago, comment has veered towards two extremes. Fans, often in America, insist it will have a dramatic impact, undermining the economics of mass production and repatriating jobs […]

Walmart U.S. CEO Bill Simon speaks at the U.S. Manufacturing Summit hosted by the retailer in Orlando, Florida last month. Ever since overseas factories in countries such as China and Vietnam emerged as America’s primary sourcing arm, churning out everything from toasters to tank tops, wistful calls for the return of U.S. manufacturing have sounded […]