Purchasing articles from May 2004

Purchasing archives from May 2004

Purchasingdata.com's forward demand indicators 90-day.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
May 6, 2004... [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Industrial growth-surge ebbs; buyers show caution about what/when to buy. [down arrow] 4.9 Manufacturing expansion widens Up Down Same Index Trend Business Activity...

More manufacturing companies are warning Wall Street that steel costs are biting into profits.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)
May 6, 2004... More manufacturing companies are warning Wall Street that steel costs are biting into profits. Some firms are even warning investors there may not be any substantial growth in earnings in 2004 despite better sales. Reason: The price average for...

Think about logging off e-mail for at least two hours a day to allow time to think.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)
May 6, 2004... Think about logging off e-mail for at least two hours a day to allow time to think, to read and research and to write memos and reports. Reason: Managers complain the relentless flow of computer messages is disrupting thought processes and...

Sky-high benzene prizes could cause structural changes in the market.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Sky-high benzene prizes could cause structural changes in the market. Major buyers such as GE Plastics are studying backward integration into the key feedstock to gain more control over costs. Another option: creation of giant purchasing...

The instrumentation market is expected to rebound briskly in 2004.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... The instrumentation market is expected to rebound briskly in 2004, forecasts researcher Lawrence H. Neiber at Robert W. Baird & Co. "Big pharmaceutical is spending to improve efficiency in manufacturing, "he says. "Analytical instrument...

Beware of phishers, senders of e-mail messages that are fraudulent attempts to steal.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Beware of phishers, senders of e-mail messages that are fraudulent attempts to steal passwords, credit card numbers and other information. Phishing attacks are growing rapidly, impersonating Internet service providers, online merchants and...

There are about 16% fewer manufacturing jobs in the U.S. since January 2001.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... There are about 16% fewer manufacturing jobs in the U.S. since January 2001. But, the Labor Department contends most recent job cuts-in chemicals, metalworking and machinery--have come more from business sector consolidation than firms seeking...

Purchasingdata.com's fabricated metals 90-day price expectations.(Prices: factors affecting product cost)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
May 6, 2004... (Diffusion index, less than 50 = falling, more than 50 = rising) [arrow up] 5.8 [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Supplier companies just can't afford not to pass along higher raw materials pricing. Price expectations, 90-days COMMODITY...

Booming demand for copper from growing regions like Asia will stabilize the price of the metal.(Prices: factors affecting product cost)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Booming demand for copper from growing regions like Asia will stabilize the price of the metal at its currently high level, forecasts Werner Marnette, chief executive officer of German producer Norddeutsche Affinerie. World copper traded at an...

With Chinese demand so strong that world supply of magnesium alloys has gone form glut to shortage.(Prices: factor affecting product cost)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... With Chinese demand so strong that world supply of magnesium alloys has gone form glut to shortage, Norsk Hydro, the leading producer, has raised its global selling price. Note: The new price of $2750/metric ton ($1.52/lb) is 50% higher than...

Gallium prices are at historic lows in an oversupplied market.(Prices: factor affecting product cost)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Gallium prices are at historic lows in an oversupplied market, so GEO Gallium of Cleveland has sliced production worldwide to one-third of capacity. "Following a spike in prices in 2000-2001, additional capacity was built which the market never...

Motor vehicle pricing will continue to decay this year, even if sales improve.(Prices: factor affecting product cost)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Motor vehicle pricing will continue to decay this year, even if sales improve, forecasts Banc of America Securities automotive analyst Ron Tadross. He expects pricing to decline by 1% to 1.5% from last year's average. Note: His 2004 annual...

With world cathode supply tight and pricing volatile, brass mills are boosting sales tags for fabricated materials.(Prices: factor affecting product cost)
May 6, 2004... With world cathode supply tight and pricing volatile, brass mills are boosting sales tags for fabricated materials. That's possible because, after almost three years of decline, demand for copper and brass mill products began rising in the...

Energy Department forecasters expect gasoline prices to peak in June at about $1.80/gallon.(Prices: factor affecting product cost)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Energy Department forecasters expect gasoline prices to peak in June at about $1.80/gallon for regular unleaded and then gradually decline through the summer--with possible price spikes along the way. The April outlook predicts that gasoline...

Purchasingdata.com's 30-day steel buying plans.(Supply: what's happening in markets)(Illustration)
May 6, 2004... (Diffusion index, less than 50 = falling, more than 50 = rising) [arrow down] 6.5 Reports from the field indicate less-frantic buying activity, as buyers assess second-half needs. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Forward demand, 30-days ...

Plastic resins will begin trading later this year on the London Metals Exchange.(Supply: what's happening in markets)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Plastic resins will begin trading later this year on the London Metals Exchange, the world's biggest nonferrous metals futures exchange. The resin materials will be a general-purpose injection-molding grade of polypropylene and a...

Delphi's puchasing transformation focuses on creation of a lean supply chain.(Supply: what's happening in markets)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Delphi's puchasing transformation focuses on creation of a lean supply chain. New purchasing czar Dave Nelson is trimming Delphis' supply base to less than 500, who will own 70-80% of Delphi's total spend of $17 billion. For more details,...

The second quarter will be critical for the Pechiney Group.(Supply: what's happening in markets)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... The second quarter will be critical for the Pechiney Group of packaging plants being integrated into new owner Alcan Inc. The challenge is to integrate the operations of Pechiney's 190 packaging facilities in 26 countries, says Cristel Bories,...

Department of Homeland Security already has spent $12 billion on aviation security technology.(Supply: what's happening in markets)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Department of Homeland Security already has spent $12 billion on aviation security technology since 9/1101. The government expects to spend $4 billion more in 2004. Now, Congress has authorized $1 billion more for security on railroads ands...

Intel has decided to take 95% of the lead out of its processors and chipsets.(Supply: what's happening in markets)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Intel has decided to take 95% of the lead out of its processors and chipsets. The world's biggest chipmaker has begun shipping the lead-free technology in embedded information architecture (IA) processors and will expand to microprocessors and...

The continuing supply/demand imbalance has led to the shutdown of even more soda ash plants.(Supply: what's happening in markets)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... The continuing supply/demand imbalance has led to the shutdown of even more soda ash plants. The latest: American Soda's facility in Parachute, Colo., has been mothballed due to continued losses. The firm's soda ash customers are being supplied...

Demand for petrochemicals has been markedly stronger since last autumn.(Supply: what's happening in markets)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Demand for petrochemicals has been markedly stronger since last autumn, statistics now show, because of a rebound in manufacturing output in the U.S. and continued strong industrial growth in China "A lot of financial stimuli have been injected...

Distributors: times are changing.(inside purchasing)
May 6, 2004... One of the strongest links in the American supply chain over the past 50 years has been the industrial distributor. Companies that take title to products, inventory them and then provide rapid delivery to manufacturing plants have been the...

Will the specter of today's strategy haunt the buyers of tomorrow?(Ghost Of Auctions Past)
May 6, 2004... Supply constraints have not been a big issue for most commodity markets in the past couple of years due to the slumping manufacturing and high-tech markets. For the most part, suppliers have been hungry for contracts and that hunger has fed...

Ariba to acquire Softface.(Buylines: strategic sourcing news for supply chain & purchasing professionals)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Enterprise spend management software provider Ariba continued its 2004 spending spree with the news that it plans to acquire Softface, a provider of spend performance management solutions. The deal, which is expected to close in April, will...

High-tech giant pushes e-sourcing across business units.(Honeywell)
May 6, 2004... Every good idea needs a champion to drive it across and down an organization. Cost benefit studies can sell the concept to the C-level titles, but bringing the new process to the end users in a way that shows its effectiveness can be an...

Buyers take keener interest in capital goods spending.(Purchasing Survey)
May 6, 2004... Hidden away among the many changes taking place in corporate thinking over the past few years has been purchasing's growing involvement in capital goods, services, and equipment purchases. Only 10 years ago purchasing's role in capital goods...

Ketera Technologies.(Version *.*: latest sourcing software releases)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Ketera Technologies, provider of "on demand" spend management solutions, has unveiled a new services procurement offering adding to the company's Ketera Spend Management suite. Ketera Services Procurement enables companies to reduce services...

BDP International.(Version *.*: latest sourcing software releases)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Logistics services provider BDP International has launched Global Rate Inquiry, a new component in its BDPXpedion platform developed in conjunction with G-LOG that lets users retrieve real-time transportation rates online. By entering subsets...

Pantellos.(Version *.*: latest sourcing software releases)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Pantellos electronic marketplace and supply chain services company for the utility and energy industries, launched its OneSource suite of e-sourcing solutions, powered by Frictionless Commerce. Based upon a single integrated software platform,...

Timogen Systems.(Version *.*: latest sourcing software releases)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Timogen Systems recently updated its new Timogen Decision Manager supply chain software. Previously called Timogen Adaptive Controller, the update version expands the alert-notification functionality with the addition of analytics,...

Joy Global.(Who's got strategic sourcing on the brain?)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Surface mining equipment maker Joy Global said in a recent financial statement that savings on raw materials resulting from a strategic sourcing initiative and lower costs from manufacturing rationalizations contributed to improved profit...

Goodyear.(Who's got strategic sourcing on the brain?)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Goodyear is tired of being slave to fluctuations in natural rubber prices and announced it is looking to "tap" into several new proprietary synthetic rubber products it has developed that could help the company reduce its natural rubber...

Production expands to accommodate overdue rise in orders.(Grassroots Report)
May 6, 2004... Business activity in the manufacturing sector grew in April for the 12th consecutive month with 59% of the buyers polled reporting economic expansion. "After a three-year lull that began in 2000, strength has returned to our main product...

What the updated UCC means to you.(Murray's law)(Uniform Commercial Code )
May 6, 2004... The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) is a broad-ranging commercial statute of interest to buyers because it covers contracts for the sale and lease of goods, negotiable instruments, bank collections, letters of credit, documents of tide,...

Timken Latrobe Steel recently was recognized as the first recipient of the Supplier of the Year Award by Lenox, a division of Newell Rubbermaid and a global manufacturer of power tool accessories.(Kudos)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Timken Latrobe Steel recently was recognized as the first recipient of the Supplier of the Year Award by Lenox, a division of Newell Rubbermaid and a global manufacturer of power tool accessories. Timken has produced high-speed steel for the...

Tenneco Automotive earned two of Toyota's highly coveted supplier awards for meeting standards in quality, delivery and value improvement.(Kudos)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Tenneco Automotive earned two of Toyota's highly coveted supplier awards for meeting standards in quality, delivery and value improvement. The company recently received the Excellence Level Award in Value Improvement for overall support to...

IBM was named a recipient of Intel Corporation's prestigious 2003 Supplier Continuous Quality Improvement (SCQI) award, the SCQI is the company's highest honor awarded for its suppliers, for outstanding commitment to quality and performance by suppliers that provide products and services deemed essential to Intel's success.(Kudos)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... IBM was named a recipient of Intel Corporation's prestigious 2003 Supplier Continuous Quality Improvement (SCQI) award, the SCQI is the company's highest honor awarded for its suppliers, for outstanding commitment to quality and performance by...

Smiths Aerospace.(Who's News)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Smiths Aerospace has named Michael Katzorke vice president of supply chain management. In this role, Katzorke is responsible for managing "a world class" network of suppliers. He reports to John Ferrie, group managing director, Smiths...

Greer Steel.(Who's News)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Greer Steel has appointed Den Fleeher to vice president of purchasing. Fleeher has 34 years experience in the steel industry including 20 years in aerospace metals and hi-temperature alloys and 14 years in carbon steel.

Draeger Safety.(Who's News)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Ben Cook, a materials manager at Draeger Safety, was recently named the company's Planner of the Year by forecasting the type and quantity of product by part number that will be sold in the next year most accurately. Draeger's German parent...

Lafarge North America.(Who's News)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Building materials giant Lafarge North America recently announced that under its new succession plan, Eric C. Olsen, president of Lafarge North America's northeast cement region and sen ior vice president of purchasing, will succeed Larry...

Michigan State University.(Who's News)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Michigan State University announced it has created the $2 million Hoagland-Metzler Endowed Chair in Purchasing Supply Management at its Eli Broad College of Business, named in honor of former MSU professor John H. Hoagland, professor emeritus...

Crompton Corp.(Price Fixing News)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Chemicals manufacturer, Crompton Corp. of Middlebury, Conn.,has agreed to pay $50 million in fines for its role in an international conspiracy to fix prices in the rubber additives market. The company pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in...

United Technologies Corp.(Price Fixing News)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... United Technologies Corp. said employees of its Otis elevator unit may have taken part in an alleged price-fixing scheme where leading elevator companies held secret price-fixing and bid-rigging meetings. European regulators in January said...

Cargill Inc.(Price Fixing News)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Cargill Inc. recently agreed to settle for $24 million a class-action lawsuit that sought billions of dollars in damages and accused the company of conspiring with two other firms to fix prices of a common food sweetener The original suit was...

Changing rules are a puzzle: industrial distribution is hard to figure. While many distributors seem to be prospering, others have serious problems, some of which go back decades.(distribution 2004)
May 6, 2004... How the problems of a few distributors affect the industry and those who buy through distribution is the subject of this year's report. The three-part story addresses the relationships that are changing the distribution business, how purchasers...

Here are hot spots you need to keep an eye on.(distribution 2004)
May 6, 2004... Distribution continues to operate in a shakeout mode. Will it complete the shakeout in 2004 or falter once again? The answer to that question depends to a great extent on how buyers and sellers in the distribution marketplace react to a number...

The top 50 industrial distributors.(distribution 2004)(Directory)
May 6, 2004... 1. W.W. Grainger, Inc. Lake Forest, Ill. Sales: $4.64 billion Locations: 576 www.grainger.com 2. Graybar Electric Co., Inc. St. Louis, Mo. Sales: $3.9 billion Locations: 263 www.graybar.com 3....

What's hot.(metals)(aluminium mill products consumption data)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... North American purchasing of aluminum mill products was 10.9 billion lb in 2003, a 3.5% decline from revised consumption of 10.3 billion lb in 2002, and the lowest annual consumption since 1993, according to calculations by Purchasing from...

LME warehouses emptied by unexpected China demand.(Nonferrous Metals)(London Metal Exchange)
May 6, 2004... There's a lot of empty floor space in the London Metal Exchange's warehouses these days, and it means that nonferrous metals will be tight--and pricey--for some months to come. And, much in the way steel scrap prices and steel mill product...

Nonferrous metals manufacturing jumps 19%.(China)
May 6, 2004... China's voracious appetite for base metals resulted in a 19% increase in the production of nonferrous metals last year, buoyed by especially strong domestic demand for copper and aluminum. The China Nonferrous Metal Industry Association says...

Mill-consumer warfare over steel import tariffs persists.(Steel Trade Wars)
May 6, 2004... Months after President Bush dropped his controversial steel-import tariffs program, the association of steel-consuming industries is asking the H.S. government to suspend all remaining punitive tariffs on steel imports. The buyers claim the...

Independence Tube Co. of Chicago is building a $30.6 million, 300,000-square-foot steel tube manufacturing plant, called ITC-AL in Decatur, Ill.(Metals Chips)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Independence Tube Co. of Chicago is building a $30.6 million, 300,000-square-foot steel tube manufacturing plant, called ITC-AL in Decatur, Ill. ITC President Rick Werner says the new company will start production of square and rectangular...

Crucible Materials Corp., Syracuse, N.Y., is closing its Trent Tube division's large pipe operation in Carrollton, Ga.(Metals Chips)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Crucible Materials Corp., Syracuse, N.Y., is closing its Trent Tube division's large pipe operation in Carrollton, Ga. Crucible says the plant has been unprofitable because of imports and overcapacity.

Hayes Lemmerz International Inc.(Metals Chips)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Hayes Lemmerz International Inc. of Northville, Mich., will permanently close an aluminum automotive wheel manufacturing plant in Howell, Mich., and transfer the plant's production to other U.S. facilities.

Lewis Brass & Copper Co. Inc.(Metals Chips)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Lewis Brass & Copper Co. Inc., a copper and brass alloy distributor in Middle Village, N.Y., has completed a leveraged Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), transferring 49% of company ownership to its 21 employees.

JW Aluminum Co., Mount Holly, S.C., has completed its purchase of Alcoa Inc.'s Russellville, Ark.(Metals Chips)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... JW Aluminum Co., Mount Holly, S.C., has completed its purchase of Alcoa Inc.'s Russellville, Ark., and St. Louis foil facilities, known collectively as Alumax Foils.

Are steel mills price gouging?(Exclusive Business Data)(Illustration)
May 6, 2004... The metalworking activity index reached the strongest reading in April since May of 2000, but buyers are more concerned about runaway pricing for steel and base metals. In fact, almost 92% of buyers polled say prices were higher in April than...

Rebuilding relationships? Tight supply and volatile pricing: is that any way to exit a three-year buying funk? And it may color future buyer-service center relationships.(metals distribution)
May 6, 2004... Metals buyers have been pinballed in recent months from one unhealthy extreme (excess supply and decades-low pricing) to another unhealthy extreme (tight stocks and record-high pricing). Caught in the middle of this tempest, buyers are trying...

Signs of a business recovery: global economic issues batter the marketplace most of the year, yet the distributors report sales improvement in the final stanza.(top 100 metals service centers)
May 6, 2004... The slowdown in metalworking activity ended in the autumn of 2003, so buyers began escalating the amount of metal purchased from service centers in the last quarter. While it appears that metal buyers are planning to expand purchases from...

Tyco: Shelley Stewart, Jr.(professional profile)
May 6, 2004... Title: Vice President, Supply Chain, Tyco International (US), Inc., Princeton N.J. Career: Stewart spent 18 years with United Technologies Corp. in senior supply chain and operational positions. His last position was as director of...

Sun shines by combining two supplier strategies: portal, reverse auction strategies drive communication and competition in the supply base.(winning compliance)
May 6, 2004... Sun Microsystems, like a lot of high-tech companies, spent much of the mid-1990s outsourcing its manufacturing operations to electronics manufacturing services providers in the U.S. and abroad. The strategy was aimed at reducing costs but also...

What's hot.(mro/distribution news)
May 6, 2004... There's still time! We're asking readers to nominate purchasing professionals who demonstrate excellence at sourcing MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) goods and services for a spot on PURCHASING magazine's All-Star MRO Buy team for 2004,...

Supply chain to gain from operational improvements.(Distribution)
May 6, 2004... Motion Industries is taking a new approach to continuous improvement that promises lasting benefits for its supply chain. Motion embarked on an Operational Excellence program to improve its internal operation for the benefit of customers...

Catalog allows utilities to 'fish in a stocked pond'.(E-Procurement)(MRO Maverick Spend Pack)
May 6, 2004... Mike DeVoney, MRO portfolio manager, Pantellos, likens the company's MRO Maverick Spend Pack electronic catalog to "fishing in a stocked pond." With the catalog, users make spot buys for MRO items from suppliers with whom Pantellos has...

What's hot.(logistics)
May 6, 2004... "Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten." --B.F. Skinner There are a wide variety of educational opportunities for the logistics and 2supply chain professional today and it's up to you to take...

Academic programs prepare the logisticians of tomorrow.(Logistics University)
May 6, 2004... Changes in supply chain strategy have made the typical logistician's job much more challenging than it was even a few years ago. A greater emphasis on technology, an increasingly complex and global supply chain, and the ever-present pressure on...

Freight rates are on many buyers' minds today.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Freight rates are on many buyers' minds today, as gas prices and increased demand push rates higher by the day. Purchasing's monthly business survey showed nearly 70% of buyers surveyed reporting increased freight rates in the month of March...

The largest rail freight operator in the U.S. is asking some of its shippers to send cargo via any mode--but rail.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... The largest rail freight operator in the U.S. is asking some of its shippers to send cargo via any mode--but rail. Traffic congestion and crew shortages have forced UP to request that some of its customers in California and Texas send freight...

For the ninth consecutive year, growth in U.S.-based third-party, contract logistics services exceeded U.S. economic growth.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... For the ninth consecutive year, growth in U.S.-based third-party, contract logistics services exceeded U.S. economic growth. Data compiled by Armstrong and Associates showed net revenues for 2003 grew by 6% to $32.9 billion following 7% growth...

Key supplier web-site locator.(Directory)
May 6, 2004... ADHESIVES, SEALANTS AND COATINGS Master Bond Inc. www.masterbond.com Master Bond Inc. manufacturers over 3,000 grades of adhesives, sealants, coatings, potting compounds and impregnation resins. Products include epoxies,...

Aluminum sheet & strip supply stays loose.(bedtime report)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Aluminum sheet continues to get delivered quickly because of falling demand from non-transportation end users and expanded supply from domestic and foreign competitors, including imports from China. Prudential Financial bullishly has forecast...

CR steel sheet still tough to get delivered.(bedtime report)(cold-rolled)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... The U.S. market for cold-rolled steel sheet is classified as tightening since healthy (if not expansive) demand is causing leadtimes to stretch, on average, past seven weeks. Mill behavior as early as January suggested that all sheet steel...

More trouble ahead for copper sheet & strip.(bedtime report)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Copper continues to get the most buzz from market mavens for continued inflation potential throughout 2004. Reasons: Modest capital spending recovery, continued strong construction activity, weaker dollar making foreign product less visible,...

Biggest gains.(leadtime report)(Illustration)
May 6, 2004... Biggest gains (12-month rate of change) 1. Flash: 8 Mb 44.0% 2. Flash: 16 Mb 40.3% 3. Heavy structurals 39.6% 4. HR bars 39.2% 5. Filters 36.7% 6. CF bars 36.3% 7....

Biggest drops.(leadtime report)(Illustration)
May 6, 2004... Biggest drops (12-month rate of change) 1. Special fasteners -17.5% 2. Styrene -14.9% 3. Methanol -13.3% 4. Test instruments -13.1% 5. Lift truck batteries -12.1% 6....

Electronics business indicator.(PurchasingData.com's)(Illustration)
May 20, 2004... [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Buyers say business continues to be strong. The Electronics Business Indicator increased 2.3 points in April as manufacturers pushed demand for components. Forward demand lags for components ...

Electronics business continues to rise, according to the new survey of buyers at www.purchasingdata.com.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2004... The electronics diffusion index topped 50 for the tenth consecutive month (see chart at left), indicating that business is improving. Last month's index was a very robust 74.6, up from 72.3 in March. Look for business to cool down over the...

Expect big procedural changes from Sarbanes-Oxley.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2004... Under the new law, the federal Securities and Exchange Commission will require significant improvements in internal controls on policies and procedures as well as more visibility into provisions of long-term contracts. Sarbanes-Oxley was...

Reflecting broad strength in the global high-tech industry.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)(forecasts)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2004... Reflecting broad strength in the global high-tech industry, worldwide electronic equipment and semiconductor revenue will rise in each quarter of 2004. So says the latest outlook from iSuppli Corp. Electronic equipment factory revenue began...

Slashing overhead costs is agenda item number one for America's CFOs.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2004... Only a small fraction (3%) of the chief financial officers feel they have tapped every outlet for cost reduction, according to Booz Allen Hamilton, the global management consultancy. An overwhelming 85% of CFOs surveyed still see reducing...

Analog digital converters 30-day price expectations.(PurchasingData.com's)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
May 20, 2004... [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Buyers now expect a pricing slowdown for analog-to-digital converters. Growing global availability of ADCs keeps depressing price-hike actions by producers. Electronics buyers' 30-day price expectations ...

Spot market tags for 8 megabit (Mb) and 16-Mb flash memory keep rising.(Prices: factors affecting product cost)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2004... Consider: Last October an 8-MB flash chip from AMD in a thin small outline package (TSOP) sold for $1.00. By May the part was going for $3.30 on the open market, according to independent distributor Converge. 16-Mb AMD flash chips sold for...