article thumbnail

The Downside of Best Practices | N2Growth Blog

N2Growth Blog

Moreover if they decide to develop the application should this be done internally with existing staff, or outsourced, and if outsourced will it be done domestically or offshore and who will manage the process. For our manufacturing organization mentioned above, what value is there in pursuing next practice innovation in their payroll process?

Blog 334
article thumbnail

A Business Model for Bangladesh

Harvard Business Review

The death of over 800 people in the collapse of Rana Plaza , a building with garment factories in Bangladesh, spurred widespread outrage over working conditions in offshore factories. The need to improve supply chain compliance does not come from moral arguments alone; the business consequences are also increasingly unescapable.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Just How Important Is Manufacturing?

Harvard Business Review

Having a strong domestic manufacturing base is vital to the United States maintaining its world leadership in innovation. Making parts for an iPhone is a challenging mix of materials science, mechanical engineering, precision fabrication, and managing mind-boggling complexity in the supply chain.

article thumbnail

Oil’s Boom-and-Bust Cycle May Be Over. Here’s Why

Harvard Business Review

While they can start to tap into the global reserves of shale oil, which exist literally everywhere, developing the reserves in most places from China to Argentina will require a significant investment to develop the shale ecosystem and supply chains needed, in addition to the infrastructure to gather, treat, transport, and store the crude oil.

article thumbnail

The 4 Types of Small Businesses, and Why Each One Matters

Harvard Business Review

An important but less well-documented type is comprised of an estimated 1 million small businesses that are part of commercial and government supply chains (referred to as suppliers). from offshore. A robust network of small suppliers is important to the long-term competitiveness of large U.S.

article thumbnail

Unglamorous Freelance Manufacturers Could Boost U.S. Competitiveness

Harvard Business Review

Second, the bigger CMOs tend to have specialized skills and knowledge that can help their partners innovate. innovation" typically means just one thing to people: novel gadgets. Few policy makers realize that much of the innovation that has propelled China's economy, for example, is of the incremental or process type.

article thumbnail

An Agenda for the Future of Global Business

Harvard Business Review

Meanwhile, business was free to focus on generating growth, productivity, innovation, and, ultimately, societal wealth. While the last wave of globalization centered on accessing foreign markets and creating low-cost global supply chains, the next wave could follow a very different pattern. These are the seven areas: 1.