A consumer purchase map details the decision paths and key interactions customers encounter with a firm or brand as they move throughout the purchase process. This article details a seven-step process that channel members can use to better plan and implement customer journey mapping: (1)...

The large number of recalled products, the low proportion of recalled products returned for repair or replacement, and the high costs (lawsuits, communication, product repair and/or replacement, government agency fines and lost sales, etc.) associated with product recalls indicate the need for...

As an effective alternative to mass production, 3D printing is capable of economically producing small quantities in local markets, making goods to order based on customer preferences, and generating little waste. 3D printing also has the potential to disrupt the Chinese economy as its...

While recent recalls and scares have focused greatly on Chinese manufactured toys and foodstuffs, the issue of product safety extends to a wide variety of Chinese-produced goods. The supply chain in China is characterized by cost pressures and quality fade, multiple levels of outsourcing often...