Patrick’s World Review Weekly is a new newsletter that brings together interesting stories from the world of supply chain management and general business from around the globe.
Here are a few items of interest that caught my eye this week.
Google Spat
Google’s spat with the Chinese government continues unabated. Google has begun rerouting visitors to its google.cn site in mainland China through to its uncensored Chinese language site hosted in Hong Kong. For more on this story http://www.kxk.me//l/ae7
High Tech Order Picking
Ocado Limited of Hatfield UK is unconventionally bringing high tech to the web based grocery business. Ocado can service 65% of British post codes from one warehouse located on a 27 acre site on a former airfield in Hatfield. The in-house developed high-tech solution comprising complex order routing algorithms, conveyors and high productivity picking churns out 90,000 orders a week and is a central plank of the company’s IPO pitch rumoured to be worth £1.1billion. However, while sales and earnings are up, the business which is now 10 years old has yet to turn a profit. More here http://www.kxk.me//l/aeF
Designer Salt
PepsiCo have developed a new designer salt for their Lay’s potato chips which reduces the consumer’s intake of sodium by 25% while leaving the taste and flavour of the product unaltered. It’s all part of Chairman Indra Nooyi’s commitment to provide healthier products to customers. For more on this story http://www.kxk.me//l/ae8
Green Supply Chain
The green supply chain is a reality it seems but only where the results of green initiatives deliver real business benefits in terms of efficiency, cost reduction and improved corporate image. Check out the Global Supply Chain Council’s Green China Supply Chain survey here http://www.kxk.me//l/ae9
Energy Security
Unconventional gas sources located in shale and coal beds could lead to a geo-political game change with Europe and North America potentially self-sufficient for up to a century. While America is ahead of Europe in exploiting this resource, the future looks promising for both and holds out the prospect of reducing dependence on existing suppliers such as Russia, Venezuela, Iran and Libya. More here http://www.kxk.me//l/aeD
