Here's a deeper look into the top trending stories in manufacturing today based on reader feedback: Coffee spat resolution; anti-theft tech for cellphones; how an ERP system could hamper revenue growth and a 3D printed car. Below these stories, check out links to other related news and features at Manufacturing Business Technology.
Starbucks To Pay $2.76B In Coffee Spat With Kraft
NEW YORK (AP) -- An arbitrator has concluded that Starbucks must pay $2.76 billion to settle a dispute with Kraft over coffee distribution.
The two consumer products companies had been locked in a fight for three years after Starbucks Corp. fired Kraft as its distributor of packaged coffee to grocery chains.
The arbitrator determined that Starbucks must pay $2.23 billion in damages and $527 million in attorney fees, Starbucks and Mondelez said Tuesday.
Deerfield, Ill.-based Mondelez International Inc., which spun off Kraft Foods Group in October 2012, will get the award. Mondelez, whose brands include Cadbury, Oreo and Tang, said that it plans use the money left after expenses and taxes to buy back stock. Continue reading...
Officials To Cellphone Makers: Install Anti-theft Tech
With more than a million cellphones stolen every year, attorney generals from 31 states are demanding that cellphone makers install technology that would make the devices useless to thieves.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
3 Reasons Your ERP System Could Hamper Revenue Growth
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems form the backbone of many organizations’ IT infrastructure. They integrate financial and customer information, standardize and expedite business processes, manage inventory, and catalogue human resources information. These systems reach nearly every department within an organization, yet few employees truly understand their scope — ask five departments why they use ERP and you’ll get five different answers.
While ERP systems are innately fused into crucial business processes in an organization, there are some tradeoffs. Simply put, any ERP system is a jack of all trades, yet master of few. And although the systems excel at managing basic financial transactions and customer information, they struggle with higher-order tasks — such as managing complex incentives, rebates and accruals. Continue reading...
Commenter John counters the ideas presented in this article by saying:
"Often, marketing teams strive to develop complex incentive programs that will excite partners and encourage them to move more products." WHAT?!?! Not true. Marketing should NEVER develop complex incentive programs. Confusing channel partners and your revenue streams as a whole is counter to driving simplicity, efficiency and growth in an organization. Don't over-complicate discounting, rebates or any other type of incentive to your channel. If there are issues with managing the processing of incentives in a finance organization there are probably larger issues at play - not just a missing software solution. Besides, most ERP systems come with built-in capabilities to handle pretty complex incentive scenarios.
3D Printed Car Could Be On The Road Soon
Canadian engineers are on the verge of creating a car with more than 60 percent of parts made on a 3D printer
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
If you'd like to weigh-in about What's Trending In Manufacturing, leave a comment below or Email me at [email protected].