The week that was: 22 Apr 08 - 29 Apr 08
When companies the size of Adidas and Volkswagen signed up as Olympic partners it’s unlikely they thought they would be forced to spend most of their time in the run-up to the games talking, not about sport, but human rights. No sponsor has officially withdrawn its support of the greatest show on earth, however, presumably as a trade-off, every company associated with Beijing 2008 is now busy trumpeting its proud record on corporate responsibility within China’s borders, whilst vigorously espousing the importance of human rights as the Olympic juggernaut rolls painfully towards the Chinese capital. After the shambolic build-up to the games Adidas and VW won’t be alone in itching for the focus to switch from social to sporting issues.
Quote of the week: “Fraud thrives on complexity and companies are facing fraud from the very beginning, on every single factor: raw materials, production, and delivery.” Richard Abbey, managing director at consultancy firm Kroll explains why supply chains are becoming increasingly susceptible to fraud.
EDS has long been viewed as an outsourcing pioneer and, according to their chairman, this particular leopard has no intention of changing its spots. EDS currently employs 43 per cent of workforce offshore and after reporting a 52 per cent rise in profits last year it’s little wonder that Ron Rittenmeyer is an outsourcing devotee. “If you can find high-quality talent at a third of the price, it’s not too hard to see why you’d do this,” he said. And who are we to argue.
= Online Global Members Only 
= Premier Members Only
