Mobile-phone supply chains have become much more regionally concentrated
In some sectors, suppliers may be concentrated in a single geography because of that country’s specialization and economies of scale. Some industries, such as mobile phones and communication equipment, have become more concentrated (particularly in China) in recent years, while others, including medical devices and aerospace, have become less so.
To read the report, see “Risk, resilience, and rebalancing in global value chains,” August 6, 2020
How jobs are changing as automation and digitisation take hold
When undergoing a digital transformation, an organization should think about how it can redeploy its people’s existing skills into new roles, then figure out where it makes sense to hire externally.
To read the article, see “Building the vital skills for the future of work in operations,” August 7, 2020.
Good data are hard to find at most private-equity-owned companies
Nearly 50 % of CFOs at portfolio companies owned by private-equity firms said data fragmentation was their top challenge. Because those CFOs typically aren’t company insiders when they start, they need a reliable fact base to identify opportunities.
To read the article, see “The PE company CFO: Essentials for success,” May 1, 2020.
Most Americans aren’t comfortable eating inside a restaurant yet
More than 80 percent of US consumers have anxiety about dining in at casual and quick-service restaurants. But nearly 50 percent feel fine about picking up fast food from a drive-through.
To read the article, see “Eating out(side): Restaurant dining in the next normal,” August 28, 2020.