Tag: US

Iso 22000 And Your Industry

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Over the last few decades, there has been significant progress in the development of international food safety standards. Many companies refer to the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) guidelines in ensuring food safety and quality at the manufacturing plant level. However, many retailers and buyers in the food industry supply chain have slightly differing requirements, depending on their particular circumstances. For example, US retailers must comply with onerous and very specific food safety requirements laid down by the FDA, and they pass these on to their overseas suppliers, making supplying the US market sometimes costly for suppliers.

The impact of ISO 22000

Given worries about food safety and the emerging standards, ISO, the international body responsible for standardization, decided to produce a food safety standard covering the entire food supply chain. The ISO 22000 was launched in 2005 in order to meet this requirement. ISO 22000 has become one of the most recognized global food safety standards. It lists over 60 codes of practice and guideline documents associated with the food sector.
An informal survey on the impact of ISO 22000 on various sectors was conducted in 2008.

Category Number of certificates
Catering 164
Food processor 149
Dairy processor 116
Beverage manufacturer/winery 90
Meat/poultry processor72
Ingredients 66
Packaging 54
Confectionery 51
Fruit and vegetable processor46
Distributors and Handlers45
Feed manufacturer 32
Seafood/fish processor25
Bakery 25

As the table above shows, ISO 22000 has yet to be adopted widely in the retail sector, but a significant number of catering establishments from small restaurants to large hotels, and school cafeterias have found the standard to be a useful tool.

The Evolution of the Online Interior Design Industry

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Theres just one thing online interior designer entrepreneurs like me love more than cupcakes and thats being at the vanguard of the evolution of an entire industry.

Every industry has had its challenges when it comes to evolving to better serve its customers online. Many industries struggle with piracy, others with delivery and logistics. My industry, residential interior design, has struggled to evolve its cost-to-serve model toward something that is attractive to more than just the wealthiest one percent of Americans.

When I launched online interior design website HMDhome.com six years ago the first sightings of my online interior designer competition could be found buried on page eight of a Google search in the form of a website selling “design in a box”. “Design in a box” consisted of the client completing a rudimentary online form (inclusive of room dimensions and style questions) and paying $800 via PayPal to an interior designer hundreds of miles away whom theyd never get to speak to, let alone develop a relationship with. Six to eight weeks later a large hat box was to be delivered full of a very carefully curated selection fabric samples, paint chips, furniture plan drawing and a shopping list of furniture, lighting and decorative accessories.

Admirable in its presentation quality the design in a box as a product was extremely beautifully prepared however as a business model it was doomed to fail for three reasons. It was an impersonal transaction in an industry that requires consultative collaboration. It was technically an improperly curated catalog because it represented what the designer had to offer, not what the client ultimately purchased for their interior design project. Finally, for the typical homeowner it was expensive. At this price point the interior designer wasnt expanding the overall interior design client base to a broader market and I suspect they failed to convert a meaningful number of home owners to online interior design in the process.

Today, home owners planning a home renovation or remodeling project can get tremendous value from online interior design services at a fraction of the cost of the original design in a box. Virtual services include ongoing consultation with a designer, specifications for colors, furniture, fixtures and finishes and access to exclusive designer discounts from popular retailers and trade sources.

Let me bore you for just a moment with some important statistics about the highly fragmented residential interior design industry relevant to its potential future online evolution.

A May 2011 report by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics indicated there are 40,950 interior designers in the US inclusive of all disciplines (residential, hospitality, corporate, restaurant and specialty). A minority of these professionals are expected to be localized residential interior designers serving fewer than 1% of US households with a traditional cost to serve model made up of hourly design fees and/or extra-retail product mark-ups.

The most significant barrier between interior designers and millions of potential new customers is the structure of the current interior design cost-to-serve model which is prohibitive for all but the wealthiest Americans.

According to a 2010 household income report from the US Census Bureau 8.4% of households earn in excess of $150K per year. While 90.2% of these were owner occupied as of two years ago, its estimated that 7.8 million households representing a potential prime demographic for online interior designers have never before consulted with an interior designer.

With a lean six sigma black belt on staff at
Homemade Design Corporation (HMD) you can bet we collect and analyze key client data related to our online interior design firm. For example, 89.6% of approximately 954 current HMD clients report having never hired a designer before working with Homemade Design. Among the primary reasons given for not previously having hired an interior designer is the perception that hiring an interior designer will increase overall project costs.

Yes, wealthy homeowners in the Hamptons may enjoy bragging about how much theyve spent as they sip champagne at the polo match. However, for the online interior design industry to evolve toward delighting a greater number of interior design clients we must enable them to brag about how much they have saved.

What Are The Main Industries In Kenya

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Kenya is the most industrialised country in East and Central Africa. Other countries in this region have for a long time been looking up to Kenya because of her strong political as well as economic strength.

Agriculture has over the years been the backbone of Kenyas economy. This is the most vibrant of all industries in the country and this country has therefore been the source of many agricultural products for export. This industry is well distributed across the country with different regions favouring the growth of various agricultural products depending mostly on climatic conditions. The Rift Valley is in particular identified with the growth of cereals like maize, wheat and sorghum as well as beef farming and milk production. Other parts of this region are also famous for horticultural products like flowers and fruits which make Kenya a major exporter of these products across the world. The Central region is on the other hand identified with the production of coffee and tea as well as a variety of nuts and fruits. All of the above products are majorly for export as well as for local consumption. Other parts of the country that are largely involved in major agricultural products include the Western part of Kenya where fishing is the main agricultural activity.

Besides agriculture, tourism is the other main industry in Kenya. Over the years, Kenya has been widely known for her diverse wildlife and cultural activities. This stature was further boosted in the recent past when Kenya was put on the international spotlight for her famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve. This was as a result of the now world renown phenomenon: the wildebeest migration that is witnessed around the months of August and September every year.

This aspect of the Mara has provided a great deal of publicity of not only this reserve but also other reserves, National Parks and the rich cultural experience that keeps visitors flowing to Kenya. One of the most famous of these cultures is that of the Kenya Maasai that has been well embraced by visitors across the world. The intrigue of their high jumping morans and the way they interact with the wildlife is a major attraction.

Besides the Mara, the Kenyan Coast is another major tourist attraction. It has been identified with international celebrities who not only visit regularly but have also gone ahead to buy prestigious homes here where they reside during their visits. Other visitors have an ample variety of world-class hotels to choose from on their visits to the Coast. Most of them are fully booked during the tourism boom periods mostly during winter seasons in the US and Britain.

Having realised the importance of tourism to the economy, the Kenyan Government has been working extremely hard to further promote tourism all over the world.

Another major industry in Kenya is the manufacturing industry. The country is not only involved in the export of raw products but it also has well established processing and manufacturing plants for different products. A number of these industries are for agricultural products mainly meat processing, coffee and tea processing and milk processing among others. A couple of other manufacturing firms have received international acclamation and they include alcohol production and a number of companies that manufacture food products. All of these products are not only for local consumption, but also for export in the East and Central Africa region and beyond.

Leather Industry Of India

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The leather industry in India holds a very prominent place in the Indian economy. The leather and leather products industry is one of the oldest manufacturing industries in India. The Indian leather industry provides employment to about 2.5 million people in the country and has an annual turnover of approximately US$ 5,000,000.

The industry has a massive potential for providing more employment, growth, and exports. Recently, the exports of leather and leather products have gained massive momentum. The exports of Indian leather goods have registered phenomenal growth. This is mainly because great emphasis has been placed on the planned development of the leather industry and at the optimal utilization of available raw materials.

Over the years the leather industry in India has undergone drastic change from being a mere exporter of raw materials in the early 60’s and 70’s to now becoming an exporter of finished, value-added leather products. The main reason behind the transformation is the several policy initiatives taken by the government of India. The proactive government initiatives have yielded quick and improved results. Thanks to the government efforts today, the Indian leather industry has attained a prominent place in the Indian export and has made the industry one of the top 7 industries that earns foreign exchange for the country.

Since India adopted the globalization and liberalized economic policies in 1991, the leather industry has flourished consistently in several ways and has contributed heavily to the Indian exchequer. Though the industry has developed, it still has great potential for more growth and investments. Investing in Indian leather industry is particularly advantageous because the industry is poised to grow further and achieve a major share in the global trading market.

The government of India in its Foreign Trade Policy for 20002009 has identified the leather sector as a focus sector in view of its immense potential for export growth and generation of employment generation prospects.

Investment opportunities in the leather industry lie in different segments related to the industry, which include tanning and finishing of leather products, manufacturing of leather garments, manufacturing of leather footwear and footwear parts, and manufacturing of leather goods, such as harness and saddlery amongst a host of other opportunities.

Amongst all the industries mentioned above the footwear industry in particular holds greater potential for investments in India. India produces approximately 700 million pairs of leather footwear every year and accounts for an 18% share of the total Indian leather export.

After footwear manufacturing of leather goods promise great investment opportunity. Manufacturing of leather products, such as wallets, travel wares, belts, and handbags offer great returns on investment.

India is one of the best destinations in the world for investing in the leather industry because India is endowed with abundant raw materials required for the industry to grow. India has a huge population of cattle. India accounts for 21% of the worlds cattle and buffalo and 11% of the worlds goat and sheep population. Apart from the easy availability of raw materials, investors are able to enjoy an easy and abundant supply of skilled manpower, world-class technology, competent and favorable environmental standards, and the devoted support of allied industries.

Several leading international leather goods manufacturing brand names, such as Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Versace, Guess, and DKNY, have invested in India and are engaged in sourcing leather goods from India.

How Us Protectionist Policy Will Affect Indian Bpo Industry

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Ever since, US President Obama vowed to punish U.S. “corporations that ship our jobs overseas,” the backlash in India against such a disastrous move has spread to officials from government, IT industry associations, and leading Indian IT services companies such as Infosys and Wipro. And while they say they want to wait for more details, they are also clearly deeply concerned about the huge implications such policy would have.

While today’s highly interdependent global economy renders Obama’s 19th-century notion of “our jobs” meaningless, the bigger issues are the impact such a move would have on the overall Indian economy’s ability to continue being a major consumer of U.S.-made products and services, and the likelihood that other countries would react to Obama’s protectionist stance with their own equally unproductive and trade-reducing positions.

Volume of concern from India
According to the sources US President Barack Obama’s statements on curbing tax breaks for outsourcing companies in the US set alarm bells ringing in the Indian IT sector.

Nasscom president Som Mittal, noting that American companies generate 50% of their revenue outside the U.S., said, “To be globally competitive, they also depend on globally shared services.” The body also said that any protectionist move by the US that adversely impacts the domestic outsourcing industry might trigger retaliatory measures by India.

Infosys in a statement said, “We are confident that the US will not take any measure which might hurt its global competitiveness and policies of protectionism would only hinder the revival of the world economy.”

Impact on the US

Obama’s tax proposals on the foreign investments made by American companies, if accepted by Congress, could affect their global competitiveness and would leave them at significant disadvantages against non-US companies. The report said while there are no direct proposals that impact off-shoring to India, the US corporations having business presence abroad could be saddled with increased tax cost if these proposals are enacted.

As per US government’s estimate, Obama’s proposals will generate $210 billion in revenue over 10 years. The new tax proposals also seek to tighten the foreign credit rules. It proposes to disallow foreign taxes paid on income, which is not subject to US tax. This may lead to double taxation and discourage US companies to invest overseas.

The Evasive Measures
US protectionism forces TCS to hire more foreigners: Seeking to mitigate protectionist measures like visa restrictions being adopted by countries like US, the top Indian IT exporter, TCS, is looking to employ more local nationals in key markets.

NASSCOM to meet FM for pre-budget consultations: The members of NASSCOM will meet Finance Minister to put forward their demands for the sector.

Outsourcing companies take cost-cut call: Indias $47 billion IT outsourcing industry, struggling to cut costs without compromising on seat capacity, is now reinventing the wheel. Some of them have stitched up deals with telecom companies, outsourcing their own communication infrastructure, a model now known as hosting services.