How Pitney Bowes is transforming marketing with the four Ps | Q&A: Data informs everything for Jack Daniel's maker | The right private equity investors can help metal fabricators improve
Pitney Bowes marketing chief Bill Borrelle talks about establishing the four Ps -- profit, people, pace and precision -- to drive the digital transformation of marketing and improve customer experience. "In particular, the 'profit' one is interesting as marketers, because it helps us realize you can make a direct connection to the bottom line of revenue and profit, versus guessing if some action is going to add value, like marketing days gone by," he says.
Liquor maker Brown-Forman overhauled its digital and data strategy during the past few years and now can use data analytics to monitor everything from pricing to batch production, says Chief Information Officer Tim Nall. "We've really shown how having this information available in real time on any advice gives us a competitive advantage when we're engaging with our customers," he says.
Private equity investors can be a positive addition to metal fabricating companies if they contribute the right resources and energy, according to Hi-Grade Welding & Manufacturing President and CEO William Downey. Such investors can help organizations think about their financial operations in a new way while helping to identify opportunities for improvement in deliveries, quality and other areas.
The new report "Life Inside the Perimeter: Understanding the Modern CISO" states that approximately 17% of cybersecurity workers are using drugs or alcohol to help cope with on-the-job stress, including the growing need for more cyberexperts. Ninety-one percent of those surveyed said stress was moderate or high, and more than half said there was little separation between their work and home lives.
A high level of quality is the key to reducing automotive recalls, according to this McKinsey & Co. analysis. The authors discuss the main types of recalls and four steps manufacturers and suppliers can take to improve quality, while reducing costs related to warranties.
From 2012 to 2017, sustainability practices in companies within most industries in MSCI's environmental, social and governance ratings "have converged over time," Harvard researchers found. This implies that corporate sustainability is seen more as a strategic necessity than a differentiator that provides a competitive advantage.
Smart manufacturing technology can help companies become more environmentally and economically sustainable while showing that they are socially responsible as well. Productivity can be improved and costs can be reduced through the implementation of analytical technology, and teams can be empowered to make sustainability dreams into realities, John Clemons writes.
Manufacturers wanting to hire through social media should hire great communicators to manage those channels, be clear about any hiring legalities involved and use a range of platforms to find new hires, Joy Duce of Sikich writes. "Manufacturers who are new to social media will want to start with a very targeted social media strategy, involving only one or two channels," Duce writes.
Students who operate a manufacturing business at a Wisconsin high school are creating medals, mugs, keychains and other items for an annual sled dog race. Students designed the items, and some were manufactured on campus.