Take note: Laptop supply chain is not what you'd expect

U.S. sales of notebook PCs outpaced desktop computers for the first time in 2005, garnering 53.3 percent of the total PC retail market, according to research firm Current Analysis.

Who gains, who loses, from RFID's growing presence in the marketplace?

In April 2004, Wal-Mart announced a pilot program that would require its top 100 suppliers to be RFID compliant — attaching Radio Frequency Identification tags on cases and pallets destined for Wal-Mart stores and Sam's Club locations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area — by January 2005.

The b-to-b tango: Suppliers and customers need to stay in sync

A marketing professor at the W. P. Carey School of Business examines the client-supplier relationship in a recent research survey.

Measuring success: New trends in global business bring supply chain management to center stage

New research shows world-class measurement systems for strategic sourcing and the supply chain help drive an organization's cost savings, revenue growth, new product development, supplier relationships, and shareholder value. What's the secret?

Outsourcing: Effective strategies necessary for long-term success

As more jobs move offshore, outsourcing appears to be one of the leading strategies used by companies to gain competitive advantage. But a new research study has determined that while outsourcing may be widespread, most companies have to failed to optimize its value through strategic planning.

Clockspeed's concept offers boon to health care

How efficiently hospitals keep track of health-care supplies can make the difference not only in cost but also the quality of patient care.

Mass customization satisfies consumer demand for low cost variety

The marketplace has come a long way since Henry Ford's all-black Model T, mass produced at a price "everyman" could afford. Today's consumers want products designed the way they like, at the right price and with quick availability.

Health care industry seeks 'green' alternatives to curtail its substantial waste stream

The health-care industry is beginning to adopt the principles of sustainable procurement — a "green" approach to purchasing which takes into account the efficient use of nonrenewable resources and the potential for recycling.

Adaptability: Essential ingredient for successful project management

Good projects frequently fail — even when experienced managers are at the helm.

Benchmark report: A snapshot of cross-industry trends in purchasing

With this issue Knowledge@ W. P. Carey inaugurates a series of stories about the benchmark reports issued by CAPS Research, a research center co-sponsored by the W. P. Carey School of Business and the Institute of Supply Management.