In The News: May 13, 2013

Posted on by adk

The Secrets to Supply Chain Success in the U.S.
May 5, Material Handling and Logistics
The textile industry has shrunk 75% since the 1970’s in the United States.  Read how one U.S. company is thriving due to lean supply chain management…

New Global Study Reveals the Major Pitfalls of Outsourcing
May 8, Reliable Plant
Managers have identified risk management of outsourced goods and services as one of their greatest concerns.  Learn more from a recently released study aimed at closing the gaps in risk management found in outsourcing…

BASF, DuPont, Other Chemical Manufacturers Pledge Product Safety
May 7, Environmental Leader
Major chemical companies and members of the American Chemistry Council have agreed to implement 11 best practices to improve product safety performance.  Read further about their product safety code and how it can help protect your customers…

New ISO Standards to Improve Consumer Safety
May 8, Tech Trader
There are two recently released standards in consumer product safety.  Read how the two standards, Consumer Product Safety (ISO 10377) and Consumer Product Recall (ISO 10393) aim at improving consumer safety…

Research Outlines Trends in Food Safety and Traceability
May 9, Reliable Plant
Food safety is one of the most important issues in the food industry today.  Find out how technology can improve traceability and strengthen the safety in food…

Blog: The Best Tools for using Healthier Materials in your Products
March 26, Green Biz
There are over 80,000 chemicals used in product production in today’s market. Read here about tools available to manufacturers to make their products safer by using chemicals with greater sustainability…

 

Posted in Chemical Hazards, Food Safety, Global Developments, Product Standards, Supply Chain, Sustainability

In the News: May 6, 2013

Posted on by adk

For Stellar Structural Packaging, Excel at Program Management
May 1, Packaging World
CPSC is constantly looking at packaging and labeling across product lines.  How does your company measure up in terms of a packaging process and design? Read one approach…

Food Safety: It’s All About the Supply Chain
April 29, Supply Chain Brain
Not having transparency in your supply chain can cause major disruptions to your business.  Read how the horse meant scandal represented a supply chain failure…

Blog:  Why getting Serious about Sustainability needs to start with Training
April 29, Greenbiz.com
A training program can be one of the best tools in a product safety manager’s tool box.  One blogger argues that if your company truly wants a sustainability program, it starts with training…

California pushes “Green Chemistry”
April 23, Contra Costa Times
Proposition 65 has presented a host of issues for consumer product companies.  California is once again trying to alter the chemicals used in the production of consumer products…

Robots in the Lab
October 4, Robotics On-line
Robotics use in the laboratory is increasing to handle the most complex laboratory work.  They can also help in the tracking and traceability requirements found in the most current federal regulations…

How can you tell if your Shirt was made in a Sweatshop?
April 26, CBC News
The working conditions in factories can cause great harm to company image if something goes wrong.  Read about what one CBC commentator has to say about recent troubles in Bangladesh, including a proposal to standardize manufacturing in the garment industry…

 

Posted in Chemical Hazards, Food Safety, Global Developments, Innovation, Product Safety Rules, Product Standards, Supply Chain, Sustainability, Uncategorized

In the News: April 29, 2013

Posted on by adk

Assessing Health Risks of Flame Retardants is Difficult under Federal Law, Officials Say
April 22, Lexington Herald Leader
Based on an old law that not been updated in decades, chemical manufacturers are able to skip safety assessments before they bring their products to market.  This includes most of the flame retardants used in products today…

Local Media must Play a Bigger Role in Alerting Public on Product Recalls
April 21, Japan Times
Local media in Japan has treated recalls with caution for local automakers.  As a result, manufacturers must take the responsibility to alert consumers of problems with their products…

Kohl’s details Sustainability Progress
April 23, Chain Store Age
Read how one retailer approaches the issue of sustainability in business….

Cash-now Promise of Lawsuit Loans Under Fire
April 19, Fox Business
A new form of credit is emerging.  Loans given to plaintiffs in cases such as product liability lawsuits in anticipation of a victory or settlement are coming under scrutiny. Read how these loans work, and how much they cost…

How the West is Won Back
April 18, Manufacturing and Logistics IT
Manufacturing continues to be the driver of global GDP.  Trends can benefit Western countries and bring production and supply chain traceability closer to home…

Blog: Though Traditional Supply Chain Collaboration Is Dead, Technology Can Help
April 18, Supply Chain Brain
A recent survey of 600 executives, cite lack of collaboration within their supply chain as one of the largest challenges in managing risk. One solution to the collaboration problem could be technology…

 

Posted in Chemical Hazards, Global Developments, Innovation, Product Liability, Supply Chain, Sustainability

In the News: April 22, 2013

Posted on by adk

 

J&J says its Approach to Sustainability begins with the Consumer
April 11, Cosmetics Design Europe.com
Companies are constantly looking for innovative ways to do business in greener ways.  Read how Johnson & Johnson approaches the idea of doing business sustainably…

Lululemon Stretches to Protect Its Brand
April 16, Forbes
The recent recall of yoga pants is only one of the problems the apparel company is facing.  Lululemon is trying to protect their logo and their brand from imitation products. Read 5 lessons you can learn from Lululemon….

Supply Chain Risk Leadership Council Launches Tool to Protect Businesses from Emerging Global Risks
April 18, Manufacturing and Logistics IT
The Supply Chain Leadership Council has released their first emerging risks report and their accompanying risk analysis tool.  Read about the Supply Chain Risk Maturity Model and how it might help protect your company…

Flame Retardants, Found in many Consumer Products, Ignite Health Concerns
April 17, Bangor Daily News
Flame retardants, used in many consumer products to help meet flammability standards, are showing up as bi-products in the environment.  Recent studies question whether flame retardants’ benefits outweigh the environmental costs….

Twelve Ways to Build Trust in the ICT Global Supply Chain
April 18, Brookings Institution
Explore the operational threats and technological vulnerabilities your company could face. Read recommendations to identify best practices, standards, and third-party assessments for supply chain assurance…

Fujitsu Launches Information Service for Chemical Substances Regulations
April 17, Fujitsu
Countries around the world are tightening regulations on chemical substances, and their use by manufacturers of electrical goods, electronics, and other products. Fujitsu has announced a service to properly manage information on chemical substances so that the products they offer and the information they disclose are in compliance with regulations…

Ernst & Young Insight: Balancing risk — are your bases covered?
April 18, Financialpost.com
Putting risk management systems in place can help you manage strategic, operational, financial, and compliance risks.  Understand these risks, and be proactive to help protect your company…

 

Posted in Chemical Hazards, Global Developments, Innovation, Organizational Development, Risk Assessment, Supply Chain, Sustainability

In The News: April 15, 2013

Posted on by adk

 

Protecting Consumers and Brands from Food Safety Scares 
April 5, Fresh Plaza
Read what industry experts view as key steps to take to protect consumers and their brands…

Blog: Critical Design and Process Steps for Successful Prototypes
April 8, Solid State Technology
The second in a series of articles reviews tolerance stacks, DFMEA, manufacturing assessment and process mapping in product development…

Brussels Unveils Green Performance Scheme for Products
April 10, EurActiv.com
Companies continue to look for ways to do business in a “green” way. Read what the EU proposes for companies to measure and communicate their “greenness”…

Blog: No Matter how Big it gets, Data Still Demands Management
April 11, Techworld
A quality data management system can lead to improved customer service and relationships, more efficient operations, lower costs and more revenue-generating opportunities.

Supply chain the new tempting attraction for hackers
April 10, CSO
Hackers are using the weakest links in a company’s information systems to break in.  Read about the risk this could pose to your supply chain…

Apparel Software Trends: Supply Chain Challenges
April 2, Just-Style.com
Apparel sourcing is getting more complicated and it is imperative that there is transparency within the supply chain…

Posted in Uncategorized

In The News: April 8, 2013

Posted on by adk

How to Make China Suppliers Understand Your Requirements
April 3, Global Sources
When using a Chinese supplier, it is critical that the communication about components and processes are understood. Here are some tips on how to communicate with your suppliers….

Slippery Slope of Skier Safety
March 31, Denver Post
Questions about legal liability of ski resorts and accident reporting are being debated to determine whether regulations should be put in place to require accident reporting….

Turn a crisis to your Advantage
April 2, The Global Ethicist
Reputational risk is everywhere for companies that do business on a global scale. Be prepared to deal with risk by simulating a crisis before it happens…

Adhesives, Sealants and Horseshoe Nails
February 1, Adhesives Magazine
Adhesives are an important component in manufacturing processes and the technology is changing to provide greater reliability….

OIG: Beef Headed for Burgers, Tenderized Steaks Not Being Tested Adequately
April 1, Food Safety News
The USDA Inspector General released a report calling into question the sampling and testing procedures for some types of ground beef….

How Much Can You Ask of Your Customers?
November 10, Harvard Business School
In today’s social media world, customers often influence a company’s business; the question is how much impact should a customer have…

Travelers Launches MedFirst Plus with Four New Coverage Options Including Product Recall Expense
April 2, News Blaze
Travelers insurance is expanding their risk management portfolio by adding four new products aimed at helping companies manage potential liability…

Posted in Uncategorized

In the News: April 1, 2013

Posted on by adk

 

3-D Printing is Revolutionizing Product Development
March 20 –USA Today
New printing technology can take product development into a whole new (safety) arena as rapid prototyping produces more innovative, higher quality products…

 

Consumer Demand Spurs Made in USA Resurgence
March 20-Textile World
In apparel and textile markets, consumers want to know more about where their products come from, which leads one study to report that 80% of Americans are willing to pay more for Made in America products…

 

The FMSA Kicks Into High Gear
March 27 – Manufacturing.net
Two years after the signing into law of the sweeping Food Safety Modernization Act, the FDA is proposing two rules that shifts the focus of regulators from reacting to contaminations to preventing them…

 

Fujitsu Launches “SCRKeeper,” Japan’s First Cloud-Based Supply Chain Risk Management Service
March 21 – Fujitsu
Software maker says its product can evaluate supply chains to prepare for disaster and manage status of supplier damage in case of disaster.

 

Q&A With Phil Royle, Product Excellence Manager at Legoland
March 26-The Ledger
Royle leads children’s theme park on road to guest satisfaction through quality experiences and safe products.

 

Brooks Brothers Standardizes on TEXbase for Materials Quality and Compliance Management
March 26 – News Blaze
Software maker says options can unify brands, retailers, suppliers and labs for material and product development, testing protocols, quality testing and compliance documentation…

Posted in Uncategorized

In the News: March 25, 2013

Posted on by adk

Kosher Certification: A Model for Improving Private Food Safety Audits
March 20, Food Safety News
Many consumers use Kosher certification as a proxy for strict product safety audits…

The Role of Critical Risks in Internal Audits
March 19, Help Net Security
With regulatory changes here to stay, survey shows only 12% of respondents think their own organizations handle risk well, increasing the importance of internal audits.…

Resilinc Launches Next-Gen Supply Chain Resiliency Solutions
March 14, Supply & Demand Chain Executive
Following a series of global natural disasters, broader IT solutions are being offered for supply chain management…

Call For “Accident Database” in EU to Reduce Health Costs
March 14, EurActiv
Despite over 41 million injuries annually in the EU, only a few countries systematically collect data on home and leisure injuries…

How Retailers Can Collaborate on Safer Chemicals
March 13, GreenBiz.com
There are new ways retailers can use chemical management systems in their supply chains to help avoid surprises when new chemicals of concern hit the news….

Natural Disasters are Hitting Harder, and Not Because of Global Warming
March 21, International Business Times
While mother nature may be the leading edge of natural disasters, poorly built infrastructure, industrial/ commercial, and residential buildings up the ante on actual risk tolerance. A Natural Hazards Risk Atlas reveals country-by-country risk rankings….

Posted in Uncategorized

In The News: March 5 – 15

Posted on by adk

Study by TÜV: Consumers Value Safety over Brand
March 7, Yahoo News
Consumers willing to pay 15% premium for safer products; 57% of manufacturers, distributors, retailers unable to trace components through supply chain according to survey.

 

 FTC: Consumer Protection Laws Apply Across All Medium
March 13, RTT News
Agency interpretation includes restricting how advertisers present  disclosure on product health and safety claims.

 

Supply Chain Risk Solution Wins 2013  Engineering Award
March 10, Business Insurance
AIR system developed in response to growing concern about disruptions in global supply chains. 

 

Q&A With Michael Taylor Part II: Sequestration, Pet Food and Antibiotics
March 12, Food Safety News
FDA leader lays out vision of how agency will operate under sequestration, ongoing issues with pet food and improved supply chain management.

 

Upbeat name of unsafe product database confuses users
March 12, Consumer Reports
Calling the new government data base that reports hazardous products “saferproducts.gov” is confusing to consumers according to GAO research report.

 

 Da Vinci Robot: More about marketing than effectiveness?
March 11, AboutLawsuits.com
In light of FDA request for more safety information from doctors about medical device, financial observers are questioning stock value.

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized

In The News: Feb 25 – Mar 3

Posted on by adk
February 26 – Textile World
Switzerland-based SGS Consumer Testing Services has opened a consumer testing laboratory in Chittagong, Bangladesh, providing inspection and audit services, training and consulting, and physical and chemical quality testing services…
February 28 – Anchorage Daily News
Makes announcement at the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization that she will not seek renomination…
March 3 – Therapeutics Daily
Jury awards for claim by woman alleging that Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary, Ethicon, did not warn her doctor of the potential dangers of the vaginal mesh implant and misrepresented the product in marketing brochures…
February 22 – U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Agency releases guidance document for comments only…
March 1 – Scientific American
In this guest blog, the author compares risk-based versus hazard-based approaches in risk management…
Posted in Product Standards, Uncategorized