Industry News

Pallet pools: RFID's next stop on the supply-chain frontier?
RFID tags make pallets easier to track and locate, although the use of the technology is only recently gaining popularity with cost being the most likely deterrent. "Pooling requires mass to be efficient," said Brian Beattie, of pallet pooling company CHEP, "and RFID takes mass to be efficient as well. You don't get value from just tagging one lane. You need to be able to use the data and to see the entire supply chain." DC Velocity (11/2007)

"Homeshoring" a growing trend
"Homeshoring" is gaining ground as a solution in instances where offshore outsourcing doesn't yield the results a company is looking for. Although many companies look to overseas hiring as a cost-cutting move, some higher-paid U.S. workers can save money for a company through better customer service, one expert says. Entrepreneur.com (11/7)

Workers: Employers don't address stress issues
As many as 94% of workers with medical benefit coverage report that their stress level affects their job performance, and 36% say it affects their productivity, according to a recent study. The survey found that 52% of the workers felt their employers failed to work out stress or behavioral health issues with the employees. Occupational Hazards (11/5)

Business Strategy

Optimize time by using simple model to divide up day
Chronobiology, the science of biological clocks, suggests that there are natural rhythms to the day and certain times when mental alertness is keener. This information can be useful when trying to organize one's day, and one expert describes the times of the day that are best for brain challenges and the times that are better for body challenges. And, of course, there is the afternoon lull, which she describes as "butt time," best used for sitting and contemplating. Fast Company (11/2007)

Sales & Marketing Tips

Strategize to make meeting with company leader successful
To get face time with a company's leader, make the meeting worthwhile for the executive. This includes tailoring one's sales pitch and approach to take into account the needs and goals and temperament of that particular prospect, which in turn will require doing some research into the executive's past decisions. SalesForceXP (11/2007)

Advice: Use buzz marketing to spread a positive message
Generating positive buzz around your business is an effective form of marketing, says Jay Lipe, CEO of Emerge Marketing, in his Smart Marketing blog. "When you get a buzz marketing effort under way you necessarily get people talking about your product, service or company in the best light possible," Lipe writes. Smart Marketing/jaylipe.typepad.com (11/12)

Management Style

Evaluate supervisor, too, if employees aren't performing well
Before letting go of an employee who appears to be losing his or her edge, take a look at the competency and leadership of the manager in charge, and the mood and atmosphere of the department in general. If there is a pattern of multiple employees not performing, it may be a sign that there is an inept leader at the helm. This article details six common traits of ineffective managers. CEO Strategist (11/13)

Managing for quality: An interview with Armand V. Feigenbaum
A noted quality expert discusses how the underlying principles of quality improvement still hold true. Armand V. ("Val") Feigenbaum's contributions to the study of quality improvement in organizational settings helped reshape the way companies conceive of quality management, making him a pivotal figure in the "quality revolution" that swept through Western companies in the 1980s. The McKinsey Quarterly (free registration for SmartBrief readers) (11/2007)

Small Business Operations

Video player allows companies to customize Web site
Video is becoming a must-have for successful Web sites, and companies have a nifty new way of customizing the video they display. The Self Serve Video Player Creator, from Fliqz, assists companies in personalizing their online videos with logos, watermarks and various other features. Inc.com (11/7)

Association News

It's time to sign up for HDAW08!
Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week '08 will be held from Jan. 21 to 24, 2008, at the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Go to www.cvsn.org for links to HDAW information, distributor registration forms and to book your hotel room. Remember to list your affiliation as CVSN only, so that the association gets credit for your attendance. For questions, call Angelo Volpe at (904) 737-2900.

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