MEMA Members Tell Legislators: “Now is the Time”
The theme “Now is the Time,” has never seemed more appropriate as members of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) gathered on Capitol Hill this week to talk to legislators about the critical issues currently challenging the motor vehicle supplier industry. Rather than simply bringing a laundry list of complaints to legislators this week, motor vehicle suppliers that attended MEMA’s annual Legislative Summit focused on ways that the industry can be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
PART II — The Collapse of American Remanufacturers Inc: An In-depth Look at ARI’s Fall into Bankruptcy
There were certainly many internal factors that lead to the collapse of ARI. Indeed, troubled mergers and internal accounting problems are not new in business. But for the industry at large, ARI’s story poses broader questions about foreign competition and the market’s ability to adapt to today’s rapidly changing global dynamics.
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry Talks to Shop Owners about National Car Care Month
With National Car Care Month (NCCM) just a couple of weeks away, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to find out what a few shops have planned. Using the Carcare.org website, we randomly called shop owners across the country and asked: What are you planning for this year’s NCCM? Is this the first time you’ve hosted a NCCM event? If not, do you think drivers are recalling the campaign and improving their vehicle maintenance habits?
Leadership for Change — Staying the Course: Commitment to Change
For change leaders at all levels, nothing is more important than staying the course — showing clear and continuing public commitment to the change initiative under way. One of the most common situations we see is the failure of senior executives to personally stick close to key initiatives they’ve started. Many executives see their role as generating ideas and setting goals and direction. Once an initiative is launched, it becomes someone else’s responsibility to see it through to conclusion. The executive moves on to something new, which may very well be defining and launching yet another initiative. In some organizations this results in an ongoing cascade of terrific improvement ideas, many of which are never completed.
DST Asks: What Information Would You Like to Capture About Your Customer Base?
“Can I have your telephone number?” That’s not just a question asked by a hopeful suitor after a chance meeting and lingering cocktails with another stranger in the night anymore. It’s now heard every time a pack of batteries is sold at any RadioShack in the country. And who said romance is dead?
DST Asks: Have You Explored the Benefits of Formless Printing Technology?
Many firms throughout the supply chain have discovered the benefits and enormous payback of investing in formless printing technology (formless printing eliminates the requirement for costly preprinted forms, such as invoices). Have you explored the potential ROI benefits that formless printing could provide your business within months of implementation? Have you further explored the potential benefits of direct electronic communication of formed documents via e-mail or e-fax?
DST Asks: Do You Support Vendor Managed Inventory as a Business Practice?
“The Right Goods at the Right Price in the Right Place at the Right Time…”
DST Asks: Do You Get Everything You Need from Your Current Computer System?
The database engine is the foundation of a computerized business system, used to abstract very specific sorts of information about your business and organize it in a way that will prove useful. The database should ultimately be viewed as a representation or model of the business.
“DST Asks” Parts Distributors: Which Features of a Computerized Business Management System are Most Useful to Your Business?
Our youngest readers may not be able to remember that there was a time before remote control technology when changing the channel on your television actually required getting up off the couch and making the long walk over to it. “Channel surfing” only existed when you could get one of your kids to sit next to the TV and turn the dial for you. Life was brutal then.