The Thomas Blog

The BMW Supply Chain Breakdown: What Happened?

It's no secret that having transparency into your supply chain is essential to mitigating risk. In fact, companies are investing in supply chain visibility and collaboration tools at a faster rate than any other supply chain discipline, putting their money where their risk is. 

Clearly, companies are taking transparency seriously in an effort to stay plugged in to their suppliers. However, in order to ensure a strong, steady and productive supply chain, having visibility into your own suppliers isn't enough – you need to have visibility into their suppliers as well. This is especially true in industries that are driven by outsourcing in an effort to lower costs and shift production requirements. 

This Robot Uses AI To Write And Play Its Own Music

The next star hitting the Billboard charts might not be who or what you expect. It might just be an AI-powered robot.

According to WIRED, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology created a marimba-playing robot with four arms and eight sticks with the ability to write and play its own composition through artificial intelligence.

Video: Autonomous Airbus Helicopter Flies For The First Time

The latest aircraft from Airbus is hitting the skies, but in an unexpected way. The company recently announced at the 2017 Paris Air Show that it will begin flight trials on a helicopter that makes pilots optional. 

Web Design Methodologies: GDD vs. CRO

Although the terms are often used interchangeably, Growth-Driven Design (GDD) and Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) are two distinct methods.

While both involve A/B testing, CRO is essentially a tool under the GDD umbrella.

Meet The Man Who's Changing Train Travel – From His Backyard

89-year-old Max Schlienger has been obsessed with trains ever since he was a child. Now, as a retired engineer, Max is using his time and his knowledge to create a new and improved method of train travel, right in his Mendocino, California vineyard. 

TCO: Why Reshoring May Be The Smart Move For Your Supply Chain

Discussions about bringing manufacturing back to the United States are heating up as reshoring and U.S.-based manufacturing have become more lucrative. Many CEOs and CFOs are realizing that their businesses would have a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) with U.S.-based operations when potential steep tariff hikes and reshoring tax benefit programs come into play. Tech giants like Apple, Foxconn, and Offsite Networks are now looking to manufacture more affordably, locally, and, most importantly, with more integrity.

A Robocop Hits The Streets Of Dubai

If you hear the word "robocop," a 1980s cyborg may come to mind. That's all about to change with the help of the Dubai Police Department. To modernize their police force, Dubai has added an autonomous robotic officer to their ranks.

Video: How American Is Your Car?

The auto industry makes a massive contribution to the well-being of the U.S. economy, accounting for approximately 3.5% of the U.S. GDP and employing more than 2.5 million workers.

To discover which auto companies make the biggest impact on the U.S. economy, American University's Kogod School of Business released their 2017 Made in America Auto Index. 

How Growth-Driven Design Is Changing The Web Design Process

Traditional web design can be a daunting endeavor; in fact, many industrial companies opt not to upgrade their sites at all when faced with this complex process.

However, a new approach, Growth-Driven Design (GDD), has significantly changed the landscape, allowing for intuitive, efficient website design that even novices can navigate with ease.