| TUG 2012 U2U |
| February 15-19, 2012
San Antonio, TX
JW Marriott,
San Antonio Hill Country
Visit the official TUG website for more information.
Please join us for our annual customer reception!
Thursday February 16
7 PM - 8:30 PM
Wisteria & Sunflower Rooms at the Conference Location |
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Interesting Tidbits on New Year's Resolutions
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 Top 10 New Years Resolutions for 2012
1. Lose weight
2. Get organized
3. Spend less, save more
4. Enjoy life to the fullest
5. Stay fit and healthy
6. Learn something exciting
7. Quit smoking
8. Help others in their dreams
9. Fall in Love
10. Spend more time with family
New Years
Resolutions Statistics
- 45% of people make resolutions
- 38% of people never make resolutions
- 8% of people achieve resolutions
- 75% of people maintain their resolutions through week 1
- 64% of people maintain resolution through month 1
- 46% of people maintain resolution through 6 months
* Source: University of Scranton. Journal of Clinical Psychology |
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On the EDGE
Winter 2012, Volume 5, Issue 1
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Welcome to the Winter 2012 issue of On the EDGE!
We hope you had a wonderful holiday season. We are looking forward to a successful 2012, and we hope the below articles will help you jump start your year.
Also, be sure to register for TUG 2012 U2U, where you can network with your distribution peers and attend numerous educational events. We look forward to seeing you there.
Please contact us if there is anything we can do to help you meet your goals!
Cheers,
The DE Team
877.887.EDGE (3343) |
The Wholesaler:
Are We 'Normal' or Just Accustomed to Strange Ways BY RICH SCHMITT
Management Specialist With the questions in the back of my head about what is a normal family and becoming desensitized to the drama creators, I began to wonder, "What is normal in hard-goods distribution?" Are we on course or have we just become accustomed to a goofy existence? In a previous column, I discussed the "Economic New Normal" that we are operating in but I am thinking about the basics and the fundamentals of what we do. With apologies to the industry academics, this will be a Rich's Business 101 version of how I understand it to work. There are specific functions or tasks that must be performed in order to sell products to the installer. Those functions can be provided in a variety of ways but seemingly they cannot be eliminated without causing a hitch in the process. Typically the functions are...
Click here to continue reading...
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DC Velocity:
Top 10 Logistics Challenges for 2012 (And Beyond)
BY CLIFFORD F. LYNCH What issues bear watching in 2012? Once again, I've put together a list of 10 developments that supply chain executives should keep a close eye on over the next 12 months. They are as follows: 1. The economy. First and foremost has to be the economy. Although the recession was declared officially over in June 2009, it appears to me that at best we are in a very slow recovery. With unemployment fluctuating between 8 and 10 percent, supply chain costs increasing, and resources decreasing, managers will be challenged throughout 2012, and no doubt beyond. 2. The price of diesel. According to Department of Energy forecasts, diesel fuel will average $3.73 per gallon in 2012. Although this is down slightly from 2011 levels, it is still 25 percent higher than it was in 2010. We will see upward and downward fluctuations, but the end result will be higher transportation costs. 3. Rising truck rates. High fuel costs and further regulation of engine emissions and carbon footprints, as well as possible driver shortages, will result in higher truck rates. Some increases have already been taken or announced. Look for more in 2012... Click here to continue reading.
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Supply Management:
Supply Chains Left Exposed to Risk
BY ANGELINE ALBERT
The desire to cut costs in 2012 will result in leaner supply chains and leave companies more exposed to risk, according to forecasts by Progress Software Corporation.
The company said events such as the Thai floods and Japanese tsunami made businesses reconsider the level of risk exposure supply chains have when reliant on a small number of vendors. As a result, "organizations will attempt to avert risk by on-boarding new suppliers. However this will be a challenge as relationships and business trust are not developed overnight," the company stated. The company based its predictions on market trends seen among its 140,000 clients during the past 12 months. Henry Hicks, industry vice president of supply chain at Progress, said that to be successful, supply chain managers needed to gain up-to-date visibility, understand the impact of events and react quickly. "Organizations that are able to quickly recognize changes in the supply chain and quickly implement a plan of action to circumvent the issue will be the real winners," he said...
Click here to continue reading.
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EBN Online:
Buying Parts Online? There's An App for That
BY LAURIE SULLIVAN
Will you source electronic components through tablet or smartphone applications in 2012? Component distributors are betting engineers and purchasing folks will be conducting many more of their procurement activities via mobile devices.
Distributors have begun to offer free, downloadable apps, but it's not clear if engineers are ready to do more than look up prices and check availability. The technology won't be a problem. Emerging technologies such as HTML5 will make graphics pop, enhancing the image on smaller screens and enabling engineers to get a full view of products.
At Digi-Key Corp. , smartphone and tablet apps should begin to support global growth this year, as the ability to purchase components through free downloadable apps for mobile devices gets easier. Digi-Key president Mark Larson, in an interview, declined to predict to what extent mobile apps could contribute to overall revenue, but as more businesses use mobile devices to find information about products on the go it could become a more important strategy...
Click here to continue reading.
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