The Thomas Blog

You Can Now 3D Print A House In 24 Hours

Looking to buy a new home but have a limited budget?

The folks at the San Francisco-based startup Apis Cor might be able to help you. They just built an entire house within 24 hours using 3D printing. 

You can find the company's 400 square foot house in a small Russian town. The company used a mobile 3D printer to make the walls, partitions and buiding envelope for the house.

Unfortunately, not everything could be done with the help of a 3D printer — the roofing materials, wiring and thermal insulation had to be done manually. 

A New Platform Will Strengthen The Health Care Supply Chain

While building a strong and risk-free supply chain is essential for buyers in all industries, when it comes to health care, the stakes couldn't be higher. Even the slightest hiccup can lead to a catastrophic loss of human life. That's why the United Nations World Food Programme and NEC Corporation joined together to help streamline and strengthen the supply chain. 

Thomas Publishing CEO Tony Uphoff Talks Supply Chain Risk, Trends And Tools With Procurement Insights

It’s no secret that managing supply chain risk is paramount to procurement and supply chain professionals. In fact, our survey of more than 1,000 buyers and suppliers revealed that 84% of buyers in decision-making roles assess a supplier’s financial stability before contacting potential supplier partners.

How Can Procurement Teams Prepare For Cognitive Technology?

Cognitive technology, which can extend the power of information technology to tasks traditionally performed by humans, is poised to disrupt the supply chain in the near future. While the technology is only in its infancy, procurement teams need to understand it in order to be prepared to leverage it in the years to come. If they don't, they may fall behind the competition. So what skills should procurement teams focus on to prepare for this disruption?

What Can You Do To Create More Supply Chain Transparency?

Supply chain transparency is a high priority for many organizations. However, because of the fragmented nature of supply chains, creating efficient, end-to-end monitoring systems can be a challenge. 

Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Successful CPO?

It takes a lot of skill to become a successful CPO. Not only do procurement leaders need to understand how globalization affects their department, they also need to stay up to date on emerging procurement technologies and evolving business standards. But what makes the difference between an average CPO and a CPO that goes above and beyond? 

Five Trends That Will Shape The Supply Chain In 2017

With the holiday parties and New Year’s celebrations in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to take a look ahead at what’s in store for supply chain in 2017.

And while we don’t have a crystal ball to predict the future, there are some trends that will undoubtedly and irrevocably shift the supply chain in the year ahead.

Five Skills That Will Lead To Supply Chain Success In The New Year

Far from slowing down, the pace of change in the supply management profession continues to accelerate. It’s critical for supply managers and for the survival of the profession itself that practitioners continually update their skill-sets to avoid being left behind. It doesn’t matter how experienced you are – if you let your capabilities fall behind while the profession continually reinvents itself, you might as well hand in your resignation today.

Manufacturing and Supply Chain 2016: A Year In Review

From the rise of automation on the shop floor to foreign and domestic political changes impacting the status quo, 2016 has been a whirlwind year for the manufacturing and supply chain industries. Fortunately, we’ve been keeping a pulse on the industry throughout the year.

Want a recap of everything that happened? Here are 16 of our top stories from 2016.