I hope my next job is in manufacturing in the US, working with characters named Dick “Sledgehammer” Reed and involving tasks such as “making 200 design changes in 12 intense hours at Lantech”.
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The Competition Commission has recommended a code of conduct for supplier relations. Business terms should be in writing and include reasonable notice for changes and prompt payment schedules, it said in a report on UK supermarkets. Suppliers should also not be charged for visits by buyers.
In the wake of the BA fine, Colin Brain urges purchasers to ensure that travel agents are giving value for money
Commerce One has announced 1,300 job cuts, representing 46 per cent of its workforce. The e-marketplace developer blamed the economic climate, which also contributed to a 220 per cent fall in third-quarter revenues. www.commerceone.com
The new Office of Government Commerce is, mistakenly, trying to be all things to all people, argues Peter Smith
Fears that the British government would miss its target of getting a million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to trade online by 2002 have been confirmed in a report by the Department of Trade and Industry. However, a separate study found that a target of 1 million SMEs connected to the net without trading on it by 2002 was reached last year.
The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) has devised a toolkit for businesses to get to grips with the new climate change emissions guidelines. The kit, available through the institute’s website, www.iema.net, includes an algorithm to calculate the net unit costs of climate change investments.
The shakeout of business-to-business will hit industry-led exchanges, predicted Joe Laughlin, chief executive of retail marketplace GlobalNetXchange. The main problems would come when they need additional funding, he said.
E-business standards consortium RosettaNet is targeting small and medium-sized firms with an affordable tailored standards initiative. The Basics Milestone programme aims to link firms with RosettaNet solution providers and trading partners. www.rosettanet.org