Reimagining industrial supply chains

 12C5438E-0841-465F-8AC3-4C9666CD91D5

For organizations that understand the vulnerabilities in industrial supply chains, there is an opportunity to prepare for future shocks and build resilience without hurting efficiency.

In recent months, structural supply-chain fragility has been catapulted to the top of the news cycle as the ongoing repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic echo around the world. Government-imposed orders to stay at home, international and domestic travel restrictions, and the need for physical distancing have stretched supply chains and laid bare the key bottlenecks in products’ value chains. Shortages have occurred in areas ranging from basic grocery items to electronic components.

The current pandemic is the type of event that is only likely to occur once in a lifetime. In recent years, however, supply-chain risk management has become more of a pressing issue for CEOs across industries. Vulnerabilities have been exposed by trade tensions, natural disasters, and other geo-economic disruptions.

The complexity of global industrial supply chains exponentially increases their risk. On average, an auto manufacturer has around 250 tier-one suppliers, but the number proliferates to 18,000 across the full value chain. Aerospace manufacturers have an average of 200 tier-one suppliers and 12,000 across all tiers. Finally, technology companies have an average of 125 suppliers in their tier-one group and more than 7,000 across all tiers.

Companies that cannot successfully manage those complex and, at times, opaque supply chains are at high risk, especially if they cannot mitigate the risk of increasing disruptions. Even a short disruption of 30 days or fewer can put 3 to 5 percent of EBITDA margin at stake. Recent research from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) has found that as much as 45 percent of one year’s EBITDA1 can be lost each decade because of disruptions.

Continue reading… “Reimagining industrial supply chains”

‘New Panama Canal’: Paraguay plans transport hub linking Atlantic and Pacific

 9CDE45C7-993A-4C06-9090-1E2F919432DC

Paraguay plans to turn its remote, sparsely populated northwest into an international transport hub and a key link between ports on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America, in a proposal its government likens to a latter-day Panama Canal.

Investment of over $2bn in basic infrastructure such as roads and bridges aims to transform the Chaco region and boost trade, according to Public Works Minister Arnoldo Wiens. The Corredor Bioceanico will connect ports in Brazil and Chile, while a revitalized highway will span the region from north to south.

“It’s going to generate unprecedented development,” Wiens said in a telephone interview from Asuncion.

Continue reading… “‘New Panama Canal’: Paraguay plans transport hub linking Atlantic and Pacific”

One of Estonia’s first “e-residents” explains what it means to have digital citizenship

IMG_8052

An online community survey recently asked me where I’m based. Without hesitation, I answered “Estonia.” You might ask: as a US citizen, why in the world did I do that? But as crazy as it may sound, Estonia is the country to which I feel most loyal today. I am one of the country’s first “e-Residents,” and I feel more welcome there than pretty much anywhere else in the world.

Hold on: an e-what?

I’m an Estonian e-Resident. A virtual resident, sort of. Let me explain.

In 2014, Estonia, a country previously known as much for its national singing revolution as anything else, became the first country in the world to launch an e-Residency program. Once admitted, e-Residents can conduct business worldwide as if they were from Estonia, which is a member of the EU. They are given government-issued digital IDs, can open Estonian bank and securities accounts, form and register Estonian companies, and have a front-row seat as nascent concepts of digital and virtual citizenship evolve. There is no requirement to have a physical presence in Estonia.

Continue reading… “One of Estonia’s first “e-residents” explains what it means to have digital citizenship”

Volunteering from home will soon be as common as working from home

c

We’re all familiar with the concept of working from home—and in 2017 volunteering from home will become just as ubiquitous. A busy life, working two jobs, unsociable working hours, and living in a remote location can all make it difficult for people to give time or money to good causes in their community. But technology now makes it possible to give your time and energy from the comfort of your own sofa, whether it’s to answer advice lines or support peers one-on-one.

Continue reading… “Volunteering from home will soon be as common as working from home”

The Future of the Internet of Things: 16 Stunning Statistics

Internet-of-Things-IoT-Wearable-Technology1.jpg

When we started this decade, the Internet of Things was a basically a buzzword, talked about by a few, acted upon by fewer, a challenge to save for the future, like 2015 or 2020. Continue reading… “The Future of the Internet of Things: 16 Stunning Statistics”

Intelligence agencies struggle identifying threats from lone, mentally ill attackers

Flowers are laid in front of the Olympia shopping mall, where yesterday's shooting rampage started, in Munich

Recent attacks on civilians in the U.S. and Europe have exposed a gap in the intelligence community’s efforts to track suspected extremists and prevent mass killings, a half dozen American, British and French counterterrorism officials told Reuters.

The attacks have a common theme of being carried out by actors with an apparent history of mental illness – but few if any direct links to extremist groups.

Continue reading… “Intelligence agencies struggle identifying threats from lone, mentally ill attackers”

Global Blockchain Forum To Address International Policy on Bitcoin Technology

GBF Horizonal Logo

Trade associations from across the world or teaming up together to address the need for consistent laws and regulations governing digital currencies and the technology behind them. Tuesday, the involved organizations including the Chamber of Digital Commerce, based, in Washington D.C. launched the Global Blockchain forum, “blockchain” being the term to describe the technology behind digital currency, to help shape blockchain international policy.

Continue reading… “Global Blockchain Forum To Address International Policy on Bitcoin Technology”

Bill Gates to back waterless toilet that will revolutionize global sanitation

nano toilet

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation first challenged the world to design a sustainable and inexpensive toilet, researchers from Cranfield University may have a viable contender – the Nano Membrane Toilet. It was funded by the Gates Foundation in September 2012 for $710,000.

Continue reading… “Bill Gates to back waterless toilet that will revolutionize global sanitation”

Are we moving from nation states to stateless nations?

Old Globe

Philip Saunders: This is the age of disruption. What we’re witnessing is a shift from territorial monopolies on the use of force as a way of ordering civilization, toward a world of borderless civic networks. Or, in the words of Tom W. Bell, a move from nation states to stateless nations, which extend the dynamics of social networks into areas traditionally monopolized by government.

Continue reading… “Are we moving from nation states to stateless nations?”

By 2030 Bitcoin will be the 6th largest reserve currency in the world

bitcoin

Bitcoin industry insiders suggest Bitcoin could be as widely used as the Swiss franc and the Australian dollar as they issue an optimistic prediction for the cryptocurrency. U.K.-based Magister Advisors, which advises the technology industry on mergers and acquisitions, interviewed thirty of the leading bitcoin companies from across the globe. It found a consensus view that bitcoin will become the sixth largest global reserve currency within 15 years.

Continue reading… “By 2030 Bitcoin will be the 6th largest reserve currency in the world”

Top 20 countries that make up most of the $91.5B global gaming business

video games

Only a fraction of the countries in the world make up the bulk of the tons of money spent on video games. The top 20 nations alone will spend $83 billion on video games by the end of 2015, according to intelligence firm Newzoo.

NOTE: For people interested in entering the fast-moving field of game design, DaVinci Coders now offers an immersive career-shifting course taught by one of the industry’s true thought leaders.

Continue reading… “Top 20 countries that make up most of the $91.5B global gaming business”

Discover the Hidden Patterns of Tomorrow with Futurist Thomas Frey
Unlock Your Potential, Ignite Your Success.

By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.

Learn More about this exciting program.