Phase of planning is important for a retailer. It is the time dimension which helps it to the retailer to decide which product sells when in the store

Phase of planning is important for a retailer. It is the time dimension which helps it to the retailer to decide which product sells when in the store. The retailer can accordingly plan for the product. Some of the planning phases can overlap. 

Look is used as one of the planning dimensions in retail. A retailer can combine a number of products together in a Look if it feels that it makes sense to plan them together

Look is used as one of the planning dimensions in retail. A retailer can combine a number of products together in a Look if it feels that it makes sense to plan them together. Hence an item will be a part of a Look if it is ranged. 

Walmart will soon have its annual meeting. Aerosmith and Cheap Trick will be a part of the entertainment, CEO Mike Duke and Chairman Rob Walton are up for election

Walmart will soon have its annual meeting. Aerosmith and Cheap Trick will be a part of the entertainment. However what would be interesting to see how shareholders re-elect the company’s board. Recently Wal-Mart executives were caught up in allegations that they bribed Mexican officials to open stores faster. Pension funds have said that they will vote against some directors. CEO Mike Duke and Chairman Rob Walton are also going to be a part of the election process. U.S. is also thinking about is the executives should be charged with crimes. 

Retailers often form Wish List of items. The wish list is at an item level. The wish list also stores information about the various attributes of the item

Retailers often form Wish List of items. The wish list is at an item level. The wish list also stores information about the various attributes of the item. For example for an item it could be the Fabric and the material. Other important information which is store specific can also be stored like the date and time by which it will be available in a store. 

World Fluorochemicals Market, Freedonia World demand to rise 3.9% annually through 2016

World Fluorochemicals Market, Freedonia

World demand to rise 3.9% annually through 2016

Global demand for fluorine-containing chemicals is forecast to rise 3.9 percent per year to 3.5 million metric tons in 2016, valued at $19.7 billion. Gains will be fueled by increasing production of refrigeration and cooling equipment worldwide, as well as an acceleration in primary aluminum output. However, there are a number of challenges facing fluorochemical suppliers. The first is obtaining access to key raw materials such as fluorspar, as exports from China -- by far the world's leading producer -- have increasingly come under restrictions. Another challenge is dealing with the ever-shifting regulatory environment for fluorocarbons, which are subject to multiple global and national regulations that vary considerably by region and change over time. Finally, competition with alternative products is intensifying in a number of sectors, particularly blowing agents and commercial refrigeration, placing pressure on fluorochemical suppliers serving these markets.

Fluoropolymers, HFCs to see most rapid gains in demand

In the fluorocarbon segment, demand will rise at slightly below the overall fluorochemical average through 2016. However, there are significant shifts taking place among individual products. Due to Montreal Protocol requirements, developed world countries are in the final stages of phasing out ozone-depleting HCFCs, while restrictions for developing countries will begin to take effect in 2015. As a result, HCFC demand will decline through 2016. The HFC market, which grew considerably during the 2001-2011 decade, will continue its strong advances as HFCs replace HCFCs in the developing world. However, concerns over the global warming potential (GWP) of HFCs will begin to limit demand, particularly in Western Europe, presenting opportunities for low-GWP HFO fluorocarbons to capture a portion of the market. Among other fluorochemical products, fluoropolymers will see the most rapid gains in demand, driven by expanding opportunities for high-performance materials in the motor vehicle, chemical processing, electronics, and coatings markets. Fluoropolymers have a very low penetration rate in many parts of the world, offering ample room for market growth. Demand for inorganic and specialty fluorochemicals will rise at a pace close to the overall average through 2016, benefiting from strong growth in global aluminum production. Additionally, rising production of semiconductors, advanced batteries and other electronic components will fuel demand for specialty gases and other high-value fluorochemicals...

SOURCE: prnewsire, April 2012,

Today is World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), Say not to tobacco in any form. WHO (World Health Organization ) created World no Tobacco Day in 1987

Today is World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), Say not to tobacco in any form. WHO (World Health Organization ) created World no Tobacco Day in 1987. Tobacco causes about 5.4 million deaths worldwide annually. 

Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle was very effusive when he praised Steve Jobs who was the co –founder of Apple

Larry Ellison who is the Chief Executive Officer of Oracle was very effusive when he praised Steve Jobs who was the co –founder of Apple. He was speaking at the D: All Things Digital conference at the Rancho Palos Verdes, California when he said “Steve would translate good ideas into brilliant finished products. He really was a creative artist, engineer, entrepreneur unlike anyone.” He compared Jobs to Pablo Picasso, Albert Einstein and Henry Ford. He also talked about the the younger leaders of the industry including Facebook Inc.  CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google Inc.  co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

U.S. Commerce Department set duties on Chinese imports of wind towers based on the Wind Tower Trade Coalition complaint which includes Broadwind of Naperville, Illinois, the Otter Tail Corp. DMI Industries, Katana Summit LLC and a unit of Trinity Industries Inc.

The U.S. Commerce Department has taken note of the fact how cheap imports from China is affecting its local renewable energy sector and has set duties from 13.74 % to 26 %. The Wind Tower Trade Coalition had earlier filed a complaint with the Commerce Department. The coalition included organizations like  Broadwind of Naperville, Illinois, the Otter Tail Corp. DMI Industries, Katana Summit LLC and a unit of Trinity Industries Inc. 

Microsoft Corporation keen to have a good number of apps for its next version of Windows like Google and Apple

Microsoft Corporation keen to have a good number of apps for its next version of Windows. The organization is recruiting people who can help to build this repository of apps. Google and Apple have been able to build its own popular apps store. Microsoft doesn’t have this luxury. 

Historical demand data should be analyzed using various methods like Pareto analysis, Attribute Charting etc.

Historical demand data should be analyzed using various methods. Some of the methods are using Pareto analysis, Attribute Charting etc. The slice and dice tools available in the system helps one to understand the details of assortment plans.

Scott Devitt an analyst with Morgan Stanley has predicted that over the years Amazon will slowly beat all the brick and mortar retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, Target

Scott Devitt an analyst with Morgan Stanley has predicted that over the years Amazon will slowly beat all the brick and mortar retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, Target. Amazon has strengths because of the e-commerce channel  , but now if it has to compete with the brick and mortar companies it needs to build physical assets like warehouses and distribution network. This will slow down the growth of the company initially but later on it will help it to extend its growth. 

Scott Devitt an analyst with the Morgan Stanley, was also the analyst for Facebook and during the process of IPO he cut his analysis of revenue and earnings expectations for the company

Scott Devitt is an analyst with the Morgan Stanley. He was also the analyst for Facebook and during the process of IPO he cut his analysis of revenue and earnings expectations for the company. This call is now the center of debate and the information was only shared with a institutional investors. 

Proposals to amend the Montreal Protocol relating to hydrofluorocarbons

Proposals to amend the Montreal Protocol relating to hydrofluorocarbons

Proposals to amend the Montreal Protocol relating to hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) has been received by and posted on the Ozone Secretariat website under the following respective links: The proposal from the Federated States of Micronesia was received by the Ozone Secretariat, today, 11 May 2012:

http://ozone.unep.org/new_site/en/ozone_highlights.php http://conf.montreal-protocol.org/meeting/oewg/oewg-32/presession/default.aspx The joint proposal from Canada, Mexico and the United States of America was received by the Ozone Secretariat on 9 May 2012.

http://ozone.unep.org/new_site/en/ozone_highlights.php http://conf.montreal-protocol.org/meeting/oewg/oewg-32/presession/default.aspx The proposals are being circulated as received, and have not been formally edited by the Secretariat. The proposals will be made available in all United Nations languages in due course. Please do not hesitate to contact the Ozone Secretariat with any related queries at ozoneinfo@unep.org, from : UNEP, OzoNews.

An assortment planning tool for the retail industry should help in micro segmentation

An assortment planning tool for the retail industry should help in micro segmentation. It should help in the micro segmentation, product range, timing. The system should allow pricing plans which targets local markets Sales planning. The system also allows or sales planning by keeping the budget constraints in place. 

Gordon Murray has risen to fame by designing Formula One racing and McLaren super cars has designed T.27 Cube car with high fuel efficiency for city drive reports Bloomberg

Gordon Murray has risen to fame by designing Formula One racing and McLaren super cars. He has now designed a unique car for driving within the city. The car has a fuel efficiency of 96 Mpg. The car is known as T.27 cube car. He is now negotiating with various companies to produce the car. The car has a top speed of 100 Mph. 

Tim Cook who is the CEO of Apple said that TV is under the radar for the company, which can synchronize with the contents from all the Apple devices, Macs, iPhones and iPads

Tim Cook who is the CEO of Apple said that TV is under the radar for the company.  It is rumored that Apple is already working on developing a TV and is trying o build on the success of Macs, iPhones and iPads which can synchronize with the contents from all the Apple devices. 

Subsidies to clean and renewable power industry in Spain has been stopped Larger wind turbine companies like Gamesa Corporation Tecnologica SA and solar power plant developer T-Solar is looking for projects outside Spain.

The clean and renewable power industry in Spain is under severe stress. The government has stopped all subsidies to the industry. The renewable and clean energy developers are now trying to look for projects in other countries if they have to survive. Larger wind turbine companies like Gamesa Corporation Tecnologica SA and solar power plant developer T-Solar is looking for projects outside Spain. 

Soft skills for a manger to build a sustainable team

Soft skills for a manger to build a sustainable team

A team manager should be a well rounded person and should be to manage the complex environment of the team. He needs to have the following soft skills to manage the team and the stakeholder.

Managing regional stakeholders

• Getting regular updates from the region and sharing the updates

• Managing escalation

Managing the delivery quality

• Ability to manage scope

• Ability to deliver in time

• Satisfactory feedback from the region

Team engagement

• Keeping the team informed about corporate developments

• Keeping the team involved

• Being sensitive to associate’s aspiration and concerns and work towards them within the organizational framework

• Creating a conducive environment for collaboration between the teams and within the team

Call for Papers: Jan 2013 issue of IEEE IT Professional magazine is a special issue on Advancing Green IT

Jan 2013 issue of IEEE IT Professional magazine is a special issue on Advancing Green IT. Please find details at: www.computer.org/itpro/cfp1).  Submission deadline: 1 July 2012.  Please forward the Call to your staff and researchers and others  who may interested in contributing an article. 

Previous special  issue on Green IT  (IEEE IT Professional, Jan 2011) is now available in digital edition free at http://bitly.com/HOu1bR.


Email from :
Prof San Murugesan
Director, BRITE Professional Services
Adjunct Professor, University of Western Sydney
Associate Editor in Chief, IEEE IT Professional
Sydney, Australia

Desso Wins Guardian Sustainable Business Award for Waste and Recycling

May 30, 2012

Desso Wins Guardian Sustainable Business Award for Waste and Recycling

On May 29, Desso, a leading European carpet and sports surfaces company won the 2012 Guardian Sustainable Business Award for the Waste and Recycling category for its implementation of Cradle to Cradle^® design in its business strategy. It was up against two other shortlisted companies BAM Nuttall and Coca-Cola Enterprises.

“This is a fantastic endorsement of all the hard work the people at Desso have undergone to transform our business,” says Stef Kranendijk, CEO of Desso. “I am especially delighted because the Guardian Sustainable Business Awards recognise entries that have made a real impact and look for business models that can be replicated. We have found that the Cradle to Cradle® strategy boosts our profits and innovation but it also helps us deal with the most pressing environmental challenges we face as a society. And we hope it will be adopted by others, so that together we can achieve scale in going beyond sustainability.

“We are moving away from the linear economy of ‘take, make and dispose’ towards the circular economy,” adds Kranendijk, “As estimated in a new report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation this represents an economic opportunity of up to $630 billion per year in Europe or almost 4% of the EU’s annual GDP.”^[1]

Since 2008, Desso has been embedding a Cradle to Cradle^® strategy into its business model, whereby it designs products for disassembly and recycling. The aim of Cradle to Cradle^® is to redesign the way we make things so that our  products consist of positively defined materials^[2] which can be recycled on an infinite basis.

In 2010, Desso received a Cradle to Cradle^® Silver certificate for an entire carpet tile product with its new carpet tile backing Desso EcoBase^®.  Due to its innovative composition, Desso EcoBase^®’s polyolefin-based layer is fully recyclable in Desso’s own production process.

Carpet tiles with Desso EcoBase^® backing have reached a level where up to 97% of the materials are positively defined.^[3]

Desso has also developed a TakeBack™ programme to retrieve used carpets (as long as they don’t contain PVC) and recycle the materials.

Desso’s goal is that by 2020 all its products will be designed according to Cradle to CradleÒ principles and a large proportion of the energy consumed will be renewable.

Stef Kranendijk will be talking about the company’s sustainability strategy at the Green Corporate Energy Conference in London on June 27^th where he will be interviewed by the environmentalist and author John Elkington.^[4]

---

^[1] The report, Towards the Circular Economy: Economic and business rationale for an accelerated transition was launched in January 2012 by Dame Ellen MacArthur, the founder of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation at the WEF summit in Davos. Stef Kranendijk, CEO of Desso was one of the speakers at this launch event. A full version of the report is available at: http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/

^[2] Positively defined = all ingredients have been assessed as either Green (optimal) or Yellow (tolerable) according to the Cradle to Cradle^® assessment criteria.

^[3] See footnote 2 above.

^[4] http://www.greencorporateenergy.com/2012/

END OF PRESS RELEASE

Email to sustain2green from Charlie Laidlaw

Decline of Indus Valley Civilization due to Climate change: journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science

An interesting study has been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science about the decline of Indus Valley Civilization due to Climate change. The decline which happened around 4000 years ago is now attributed to the climate change which affected the flow of the Saraswati river (a sacred river in Hindu mythology). The Indus civilization depended a lot on the river. 

Share price of Facebook is already touching new low and might drop even further to mach other internet companies on Nasdaq

The share price of Facebook is already touching new low. It has dropped to about $28.84, which makes a market capitalization of $ 79.1 billion. The share is still trading at 29.5 times the projected profit of $2.69 billion for 2014. The share prices will have to drop down to $23.07 to match with the other internet companies which are trading in Nasdaq. It has already lost about $25 billion in valuation since its listing. 

India's Onshore Wind Energy potential is 3000 GW

A study is pegging Indian potential for wind power at 3,000 GW. C-WET estimated Indian wind farm potential at 49,000 MW at 50 m Hub Height and increased to 100 GW subsequently at 80 m Hub Height. "Scientific and research work carried out by Indian wind industry expert Jami Hossain (Chief Mentor & Co-founder WinDForce) has inspired scientists at Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory (LBNL) to challenge assessments of the Chennai based government agency CWET, on the potential for wind farms in India. Hossain in his paper, published in the international renewable energy journal Renewable Energy, presented his findings on the assessment for potential for windfarms using Geographical Information System Platform," read a media s t a t e m e n t i s s u e d b y Wo r l d W i n d E n e r g y A s s o c i a t i o n ( W W E A ) . After re-assessing the land that can be used for wind power development, so as to take into account previously excluded lands, Lawrence Berkeley has come to the conclusion that the true potential of wind energy in India is between “20 and 30 times higher than the current official estimate of 102 GW.” It was previously thought that only 2 per cent of lands in windy areas could be used for putting up wind power projects. Lawrence Berkeley found after the study that a lot more land was available even after excluding lands with low wind speeds, lands with slopes greater than 20 degrees and elevation higher than 1,500 metres. The study looked at wind speeds at heights of 80 metres, 100 metres and 120 metres. 8 www.windforce-management.com Enabling High Efficiency and Reliable Wind Power Projects The study found that 1,629 sq.km of area is available for putting up wind turbines at heights of 80 metres with PLF more than 25 per cent. “The main importance of this study, why it's groundbreaking, is that wind is one of the most cost-effective and mature renewable energy sources commercially available in India, with an installed capacity of 15 GW and rising rapidly,” says Berkeley Lab scientist Mr Amol Phadke, who authored the report. “The cost of wind power is now comparable to that from imported coal and natural gas-based plants, and wind can play a significant role by effectively addressing energy security and environmental concerns.” The study has come to the attention of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy also. Source: "Reassessing Wind Potential Estimates for India: Economic and Policy Implications" can be downloaded at: http://ies.lbl.gov/node/473 Please visit http://www.windforce-management.com/ for more details

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will soon allow other names like .Apple, .Paris etc. to be registered

Internet will soon move out of the “.com” domains as the governing body of the internet,  Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will soon allow other names like .Apple, .Paris etc. to be registered. The cost for registering such names will be high. $185000 for the registration and there after an annual fee of $25000. June 13^th  will be the launch date for it.

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Options in Agricultural Sector

The agriculture sector and its remarkable advances during the middle of 20th century is considered to be the basis for securing the food supply of a rapidly expanding human population especially in the developing countries that was enjoying the fruits of industrial revolution reflected in there improving socio-economic status. The impetus received by the agriculture sector through the green revolution was however lost in the new wave of economic liberalization and rise of service sector during the final decade of last century. Agriculture sector has been increasingly marginalized from the development focus of governments and has become stagnant as a result. Whilst the world population continues to grow and is expected to grow at the rate of about 2% per annum , the area under agriculture has remained constant at about 38% of total arable land for the last twenty years To read more, please click the download link below http://www.emergent-ventures.com/insights/climate-change-mitigation-and-131.html?type=insights

Changi Airport gets ISO 14064-1:2006 Certification for Carbon Footprinting

Changi Airport gets ISO 14064-1:2006 Certification for Carbon Footprinting Changi Airport Group Singapore Pte Ltd (CAG) was accredited with ISO 14064-1:2006 certification for accounting and reporting its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. It has received the ISO 14064 accreditation from Bureau Veritas Certifications. CAG was assisted by Emergent Ventures International (EVI) throughout its GHG emission accounting cycle for conducting the GHG accounting exercise and preparation of the assessment report as per the ISO 14064-1 standards and Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme requirements. Recognizing the threats and opportunities presented by anthropogenic climate change to its business, CAG took this voluntary initiative to calculate and report its GHG emissions. EVI helped CAG calculate the GHG emissions inventory for Passenger Terminals 1, 2, 3, Budget Terminal and other air-side operations for the period of July 2010 to June 2011. The GHG inventory included all facilities which are owned and operated by CAG whereas emissions from facilities operated by contractors, tenants and other third parties were excluded from the inventory. Moving forward, CAG also intends to apply for Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) certification by Airport Council International (ACI). Changi Airport is the seventh busiest international airport in the world and a major air hub in Asia. Presently, CAG serves some 100 airlines flying to over 210 cities in about 60 countries and territories worldwide. Emergent Ventures International (EVI) is one of the world’s leading climate change and clean energy advisory companies. EVI helps businesses, governments and international agencies understand risks and opportunities associated with climate change through its carbon, sustainability and clean energy consulting services. More information on the project and approach is available at http://www.emergent-ventures.com/changi-airport-group-singapore-pte-ltd-cag. ###

FE-EVI Green Business Survey 2011-12

FE-EVI Green Business Survey 2011-12 In order to gauge the awareness of Indian businesses in the areas of climate change, Emergent Ventures India partnered with The Financial Express in 2008 to initiate the FE-EVI Green Business Survey. Since then, businesses have been surveyed on their actions to adopt sustainability into their processes. This year’s survey rates the performance of Indian companies on key sustainability parameters. The assessment areas are: · Climate Change and Environment · Natural Resources management · Stakeholder Engagement and CSR · Corporate Governance and Disclosure The survey evaluates corporate action over the last three years. Sustainability assessment and disclosure standards like those of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) were also studied and key aspects were adapted for this survey so that the results are comparable in the global context. Top 500 companies (revenue-wise) of India were chosen for this year’s survey. A total of 73 companies across 20 sectors have participated, making it a hugely successful affair.

FE-EVI Green Business Leadership Awards-2012

Emergent Ventures : A glimpse at last year's award ceremony! 1. Dr Kalam's speech- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92fqifw6LLQ&feature=youtu.be 2. Award Ceremony- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zYk77dY5Do 3. Panel Discussion- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEmixaug_mo&feature=youtu.be FE-EVI Green Business Leadership Awards 2010-11 youtube.com This is the third edition of 'FE-EVI Green Business Survey'. The 2010-11 survey seeks to measure the real impact of actions being carried out by Indian Business on climate change and sustainability. Data from the survey will...

Bluefin tuna which fed in the waters near damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant was contaminated with radioactive material from the plant

Bluefin tuna which fed in the waters near damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant was contaminated with radioactive material from the plant. However scientists say that the contamination will decline over the years as the radioactive material cesium 10  dilutes in the ocean. 

John Boehner who is the Leader of House Republicans has already said that this year they will again try to limit the White House over debt ceiling

Most of the regions like Europe, China are struggling to find their foothold in the economic recovery. The U.S. economy is limping back to recovery. However U.S. saw bitter battle last year when the congress was trying to decide the debt ceiling of the country. This almost derailed the process of recovery. Will this year be the same. John Boehner who is the Leader of House Republicans has already said that this year they will again try to limit the White House. 

Pre-Season Planning and In-Season Planning is important for retailers to keep a track of how the various plans are working

Pre-Season Planning and In-Season Planning is important to keep a track of how the planners plan is working. In case the Pre-Season plan is not working one needs to work on it continuously in the in season development. Various softwares that are available in the market help a retail organization to strike a balance between the various plans.

Australia is the happiest and Turkey is at the bottom in the Paris based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) happiness ranking

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is based out of Paris which has published its happiness ratings. It considers 24 indicators across 11 categories like environment quality, civic engagements etc. 34 states which are a member of the organization participated. Brazil and Russia also participated. Australia topped the ranking. Turkey was the lowest.

Olympus settles lawsuit with former CEO Michael Woodford in London

Olympus is known for is cameras and optical instruments. However the Japanese company has lost about $4 billion in market valuation since it was caught for accounting fraud. Michael Woodford who as chief executive officer  (CEO) brought the irregularities into light was fired by the company. However he sued the company for firing him under whistle-blowing rules. They have now reached an agreement and have settled the lawsuit. 

Toyota Prius is the world’s best selling hybrid car. It is third most popular vehicle in U.S. behind Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus

Toyota Prius is the world’s best selling hybrid car. What has surprised car analysts is that Prius has become the third most popular vehicle in U.S. Top selling car is Toyota Corolla and the next is Ford Focus. What makes Prius unique is that it is a hybrid car. See this video from Bloomberg.

Creating a Wish list to decide on what products needs to be sold in the market an important feature for the retail

Creating a Wish list to decide on what products needs to be sold in the market. If you feel that a certain product can be sold in the market in the next season also you can add them to the wish list. This helps a buyer to plan ahead of time. This is a very important functionality in any software for the retail industry. 

A buyer and a planner in a retail organization need to work very closely to avoid inventory pile up and waste

A buyer and a planner in a retail organization need to work very closely. They often use each other plan to streamline the operations and take corrective actions. For example if a buyer had planned for certain items which are not selling then the planner will raise the red flag and work along with the buyer to take corrective actions. This help the organization to reduce excess inventory and avoid waste. 

Buyer in a retail industry helps in defining styles. They also work on color ranges and other attributes like green and sustainable products

A buyer in a retail industry helps in defining styles. They also work on color ranges and other attributes. They also use attributes to match the stores and publish style plans. They also keep in mind the trends in the market like in recent times the consumers have preferred green and sustainable products. 

Bill Gates will meet Akhilesh Yadav who is the Chief Minister in the state of Uttar Pradesh to discuss various issues like healthcare, immunization, would be mother care and nutrition

Bill Gates will meet Akhilesh Yadav who is the Chief Minister in the state of Uttar Pradesh  on 30^th May 2012. He would be discussing various issues like healthcare, immunization, would be mother care and nutrition and other schemes where Gates provides the funds.  He would be presenting a five point program . 

Various parameters are considered for assortment planning like store attributes, product attributes, store or POS history, demographics data

Various parameters are considered for assortment planning. The most important ones are store attributes, product attributes, store or POS history, demographics data. Once these data are analyzed it helps us to do the store clustering and grouping. This data can then be used for planning the assortment. Good assortment plan helps to reduce inventory and reduce wastage. 

Retailers and brands like Victoria’s Secret , Walmart etc. are trying to garner as much support on various social media platforms like facebook, twitter, Google + etc.

Most of the major retailers  and brands are trying to garner as much support on various social media platforms. The most popular one are Victoria’s Secret followed by Walmart. Campalyst has also compiled an infographic which gives more information on this.

Infographic by Campalyst

Seasonal profiling for products at an item store level would be important to determine the selling patterns

Seasonal profiling for products at an item store level would be important to determine the selling patterns. The systems should also help to plan for sales, inventory and product movements. The software helps the company to do a reconciliation of top-down matching with the financial goals.  

Software for Assortments and direction and distribution strategies, life cycle management for retail

A software system that covers the major functions of a retailing. The software should be able to handle designing styles and concepts. It should be able to help with assortment and distribution strategy. The support to life cycle management would also be crucial.

Retails Stores struggle to decide what kind of sizes they need to store. The need to stock right kind of sizes is important.

Retails Stores struggle to decide what kind of sizes they need to store. The need to stock right kind of sizes is important. There are softwares which allow organizations to work on the problem. This will also help the organization to avoid situations of busted sizes , overstocks, transfer and markdowns. The stores will receive products of right sizes which sell in the market. 

Farmers in developing countries like India use are slowly beginning to use Social networking to exchange information among each other using platforms like Reuters Market Light, and Iffco Kisan Sanchar

Farmers in developing countries like India use are slowly beginning to use Social networking to exchange information among each other.  They are using information from TV, radio, newspaper and other sources. The platforms like Reuters Market Light, and Iffco Kisan Sanchar which were launched sometime back have gained popularity with the farmers. They get SMS and voice mail in their handsets about various facets of farming.

Boom of the shale gas exploration in various parts of the world like the North America has helps the farmes of cluster beans in countries like India

The boom of the shale gas exploration in various parts of the world like the North America has helps the farmers of cluster beans in countries like India. The gum which is extracted from the cluster beans is used for the hydraulic fracking or fracturing. The Indian farmers primarily from Rajasthan grow 80% of the world’s cluster bean. They are making good money out of it. 

Morphine is used to kill the pain for patients suffering from cancer and other illness

Morphine is used to kill the pain for patients suffering from cancer and other illness. However most of the countries there is strict control on the import of morphine. Also about 90% of the compound is consumed by the developed countries. The developing countries use very little of the compound. 

Whispering-Winds, Inc.: manufacturing a line of small rugged wind generators & are looking for a few established “Alternative Energy” companies that are interested in becoming "regional stocking distributors"

Whispering-Winds, Inc: We are manufacturing a line of small rugged wind generators & are looking for a few established “Alternative Energy” companies that are interested in becoming "regional stocking distributors".

As a distributer you would have; an Exclusive Protected Territory, Distributer Pricing & Receive all sales leads generated in your territory.

We manufacture three models of wind generators; 500 watt, 1,000 watt & 2,000 watt.

If you would like more information about becoming a distributer, please let us know and how we can contact you to discuss your interest in person or by phone.

Judy Dong, Marketing Manager, Whispering-Winds, Inc., judy@whispering-winds.co

The Paiter Surui, a Brazilian tribe in the Amazon who last month received approval for the first-ever indigenous-led REDD project

A developing situation you might want to follow : Email sent by Kelli Barrett, Ecosystem Marketplace

It involves the Paiter Surui, a Brazilian tribe in the Amazon who last month received approval for the first-ever indigenous-led REDD project.  The Surui Forest Carbon Project is designed to generate carbon credits by saving endangered rainforest from loggers, and while most of the world welcomed the event, illegal loggers see it as a threat to cheap supplies of timber.  They have deluged the tribe with death threats on the one hand and offerings of bribes and even weapons on the other.

Last week, tensions escalated when tribal leaders confronted loggers, and credible death threats were issued against key members of the tribe. The tribe then took the unusual step of asking the Brazilian federal police to intervene.

We have received conflicting and unconfirmed reports of what, exactly, is happening, and have chosen to withhold details until we know for sure what is going on.  But we have also posted this brief story that tells you what little we do know already, and will post more details as they become available:

http://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/pages/dynamic/article.page.php?page_id=9059&section=news_articles&eod=1

This is, obviously, a developing story – and one we hope will be resolved quickly and peacefully. We will be providing updates as we receive them, and encourage you to check our site for the latest developments.

Hazardous material spills are a frequent occurrence in any EH&S professional realm of responsibility, regardless of the size of your corporation: Enviance

Hazardous material spills are a frequent occurrence in any EH&S professional realm of responsibility, regardless of the size of your corporation. With state regulations enforcing the reporting of spills with significant fines, it is imperative that organizations streamline their processes for recording and reporting spills.

By leveraging workflow capabilities in your Environmental Management Information System (EMIS), you can easily develop an effective process flow that ensures accountability and meets inspection requirements.

Get new white paper

Take a look at how a utility company with a large number of spills has overcome spill management recording and reporting obstacles to achieve zero fines to-date.

You will learn more about:

•  Designing an effective spill incident workflow process and recording system 

•  Automating a spill management process with EMIS capabilities 

•  Improving the decision making process with a spill incident management system

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UK Guardian newspaper interview with the CEO of Dutch carpet manufacturer, Desso, which sells in over 100 countries and is a leading advocate of Cradle to Cradle design and manufacturing.  It’s a topical subject with the forthcoming Rio+20 summit, which will also look to private business to drive international policy on such issues as sustainable growth and poverty.

Desso is a committed early adopter of Cradle to Cradle, and we would be delighted to provide you with material: either an exclusive (non-promotional) article on the issues, or to put up a senior executive for interview.

How Desso aims to spread the cradle-to-cradle philosophy worldwide

• The chief executive of the Dutch carpet company puts the circular economy at the heart of achieving a sustainable future

Commercial carpet manufacturing isn't exactly riveting stuff. Don't get me wrong. It's good the world has carpet makers. Just as we all depend on ball bearings and microchips, we all need carpets. But, let's face it, children don't generally say "carpet manufacturer" when asked about their future ambitions.
Enter the whirlwind that is Stef Kranendijk. If anyone can make yarn types and non-synthetic binding sound interesting, it's the chief executive of Desso, a Dutch carpet maker. He travels the world talking to packed audiences about his company's manufacturing processes.
Kranendijk's appeal lies in his evangelical passion for 'cradle-to -cradle'. "The idea [of cradle-to-cradle] is to use such pure materials that you can endlessly recycle in a safe way," he enthuses.
It's the ultimate in closed-loop thinking. The brainchild of US architect William McDonough and German chemist Michael Braungart, cradle-to-cradle is framed around designing products with natural components that can be continuously recovered and reused.
A good example is Ford's Model U concept car. Made from environmentally benign materials, it boasts everything from soya-based polyurethane foam seats to a car roof made from a corn-based biopolymer. Post-use, the car can be disassembled and either returned to the earth or rebuilt.
As a model for production, "circular" is the way Kranendijk likes to describe it. He sees it fitting into a big picture: "You go from a linear economy system where you produce waste for landfill or incineration, to one in which you make your products from materials that you can endlessly recycle."
The environmental benefits are self-evident. Less raw material use means less use of the planet's dwindling resources. Cradle-to-cradle also prioritises natural fibres and chemicals over petroleum-based equivalents. That's a tick in both the climate change and toxicity boxes.
Cradle-to-cradle's financial profile is none too shabby either. The Ellen MacArther Foundation recently commissioned McKinsey to run the numbers.
The results of the study were, in Kranendijk's own words, "flabbergasting". The report showed that if cradle-to-cradle took off, then the net material cost savings for European manufacturers could amount to as much as $630bn per year by 2025. And that's only the "sweet spot" sectors that represent less than half of GDP from EU manufacturing industries.
Future-gazing is all well and good, but what about the here and now? Desso's own recent story provides solid evidence that cradle-to-cradle is more than just a fanciful eco-imaginary.
Since 2007, when an asset management firm that Kranendijk co-owned bought the carpet manufacturer, Desso has shifted all its research and design on to a closed-loop footing. In four years, the carpet manufacturer has managed to cut its carbon emissions by 43%. Over the same period, the European market share of its carpet tile business has jumped by 8% to 23%.
The real proof came last year, when Kranendijk and his investment colleagues got a lucrative offer from a Dutch investment firm. Desso's green credentials had caught the investor's attention, says Kranendijk. But it was the numbers that sealed the deal. Under the Dutchman's watch, Desso's profitability had increased from 1% to 9.5%.
"We try to prove that putting sustainability in the heart of your strategy will actually deliver better results," he states.
Of course, sustainability alone doesn't swing it in the marketplace. Products need to be functional, high-quality, and price-competitive, too.
"Thirty years ago, when products were environmentally friendly, you could almost see that they were because they were so ugly. So the challenge is to combine cradle-to-cradle products with stunning design."
For that reason, Desso structures its corporate strategy not just around cradle-to-cradle, but creativity and functionality, too. The three are not mutually exclusive, Kranendijk insists. Far from it, in fact. "You can't have one without the other", as he puts it.
He cites the example of a carpet design called AirMaster. Developed by Desso's in-house design team, the patented technology is eight times more effective in capturing and retaining fine dust than conventional hard flooring.
"This is a straightforward innovation that we would never had thought of if we hadn't gone cradle-to-cradle as a company."
Refinity provides a similar illustrative case of how a cradle-to-cradle approach can unleash eco-innovation. This new separation technique enables Desso to separate the yarn and other fibres from the carpet backing, thereby producing two main material streams that can then be recycled.
Around three-fifths of Desso's carpet tiles are now made from fully recycled yarn. Kranendijk wants all the company's products to be 100% recyclable or biodegradable by 2020.
The company is making good progress on its carpet tile range, but there is still work to do in its woollen carpet and artificial grass businesses. Making wool totally biodegradable, for example, presents a technological challenge.
Desso can count some early wins. For example, it has developed a natural latex to replace the unsustainable stuff on which its wool carpets and synthetic grass used to be stuck. The company is also mixing its wool with yarn made from bamboo and wood because of their natural anti-bacterial properties, thus allowing Desso to do away with adding nasty germ-killing chemicals.
Cradle-to-cradle has yet to catch on big time, but it is gaining ground. Joining Kranendijk in trumpeting the concept is Ian Cheshire, CEO of Kingfisher. Furniture maker SteelCage, shipping firm Maersk, Dutch life sciences company DSM and the chemicals giant Dow Chemical are some of the other notable converts to the cause.
As far as getting the idea into the mainstream, governments could certainly do their bit to help. Kranendijk confesses that "one day" he'd like to see an EU directive on the theme.
Yet he's wary about legislation too early. He may be the cradle-to-cradle club's most vocal advocate, but he's not naïve. He knows that "some multinationals" will cry foul, arguing that the idea threatens their competitiveness with the rest of the world.
The cradle-to-cradle philosophy is slowly generating interest in policy circles all the same. Joke Schauvliege, the Flemish environment minister, did much to integrate the idea into EU's Environment Council policy during Belgium's EU Presidency back in 2010. Just a month beforehand, she'd toured one of Desso's factories.
Kranendijk was ready with some advice for her. "If I were you, I'd make sure that you put cradle-to-cradle as the stamp on your policy", he recalls telling her. "And that's exactly what happened."
As persuasive as Kranendijk undoubtedly is, the cradle-to-cradle concept is not without its doubters. Some experts have queried how practicable and scaleable it is across all production chains, for instance. Technical issues also surround some of the finer points of the for-profit certification process established by McDonough and Braungart.
There is no deterring the Desso chief executive though. His mind is made up. If we want a sustainable future, then cradle-to-cradle is the way to go: "My conviction is that those companies that integrate this into the centre of their strategies will be the winners. Those that don't will be stuck in the middle or lose." And who said carpet making wasn't riveting?
Stef Kranendijk will be a panelist at Sustainability 24 on Wednesday 23 May. Click here to register for Sustainability 24, a 12 hour live broadcast brought to you by Accenture and Guardian Sustainable Business that will help set the agenda for sustainable business
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Emailed to Sustain2Green by: Charlie Laidlaw

Don't Hate on 8 : Microsoft Windows' Game Changing Plan

Don't Hate on 8 : Microsoft Windows' Game Changing Plan

Source: http://FrugalDad.com't  

SpaceX has successfully launched the dragon capsule to be sent to the International Space station. The docking of the capsule with the International Space station was successful. SpaceX is founded by Elon Musk.

U.S. has retired its fleet of space shuttles. The Obama administration took that call as it felt that the private sector can deliver the goods into space much cheaper compared to the government. It now relies on the Russian, European and Japan to deliver the goods into space. SpaceX has successfully launched the dragon capsule to be sent to the International Space station. The docking of the capsule with the International Space station was successful. The Dragon was grabbed by the tail. SpaceX is founded by Elon Musk.

Store clustering in the context of retail help the organizations to group similar stores which have similar sales patterns

Store clustering in the context of retail help the organizations to group similar stores which have similar sales patterns. The clustering helps the organization to plan better. Store can be graded using various attributes. Size and sales of the store can be used to grade the stores. 

In the retail industry the consumer insights are key for deciding what product goes into what stores. A good allocation system can do various what if analysis and decide on the right strategies

In the retail industry the consumer insights are key for deciding what product goes into what stores. A good allocation system can do various what if analysis and decide on the right strategies. It is important that the organization looks towards optimizing the store –specific assortments across the supply chain. The allocation should be inventory and assortment plans. The allocation system also tries to match your business process on the software.

Buying and assortment management help the retail firms to sell what the local market need. They try to create an assortment of products which are required by the local population.

The buying and assortment management help the retail firms to sell what the local market need. They try to create an assortment of products which are required by the local population. The pre-season analysis consists of sales profiling, promotions and price planning and intelligence. The process also helps to improve and supply chain productivity and work on point of sale productivity.

Enterprise Planning systems optimize the planning process for retail organizations. The planning for items can be done on attribute hierarchies.

Enterprise Planning systems optimize the planning process for retail organizations. The planning for items can be done on attribute hierarchies. This allows planning at multiple levels and attributes. Organizations also gain visibility into inventory and life cycle planning. The exceptions raised by the system when any planning norms are violated help the planner to review plans and situations proactively. The financial plans guide the downstream systems. 

Protecting our Atmosphere for Generations to Come

Protecting our Atmosphere for Generations to Come

“… The year 2012 marks the 25th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The theme for this year’s celebration “Protecting our Atmosphere for Generations to Come” emphasizes the extraordinary collaboration and environmental benefits achieved by the world’s governments through the operation of the Montreal Protocol.

The phase-out of controlled uses of ozone depleting substances and the related reductions have not only helped protect the ozone layer for this and future generations, but have also contributed significantly to global efforts to address climate change; furthermore, it has protected human health and ecosystems by limiting the harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching the earth…”

Quote from the letter of Mr. Marco Gonzalez, Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat, on the subject of the preparations for the upcoming International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, 16 September 2012. Click here to read more > http://bit.ly/xFoDMs

Store Operations for the retail industry cover a variety of functions which are very important

Store Operations for the retail industry cover a variety of functions which are very important. They are:

• Workforce Management
• Customer management
• POS and Inventory management

They is a lot of scope for incorporating green practices in them.

The merchandising function in the retail industry can be broken down into the following sub-functions :

The merchandising function in the retail industry can be broken down into the following sub-functions :

• Merchandise planning
• Store & Size Optimization
• Buying & Assortment Management
• Category Management
• Price & Promotion Management