In spite of the tumult of a reawakening global economy whose U.S. benefits were constrained by escalating political uncertainty, two destructive hurricanes, and an alarming confrontation with North Korea, U.S. manufacturing managed a rather bland but steady growth performance during 2017. The Federal Reserve reported that after two difficult years of essentially zero output gains, growth in the factory sector logged 1.3% during 2017. 

Collaborative engineering tools are transformational for many organizations. In addition to reducing time to market, they reduce cost, eliminate errors, and create an environment of information sharing that is resulting in better products. The future will not only see greater improvements in cycle times but will also see a greater expansion of data analytics tools and larger teams to include suppliers and others in the organization, having an overall impact on the bottom line.

In October, MAPI held its most attended webinar of the year: Transfer Pricing & Customs Valuation. In today’s cross-border business environment, transfer pricing and U.S. Customs valuation are integral, and companies must have a clear understanding of the unique requirements of each to the business.

It’s a fitting time of year for miracles, and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed by Congress today fits that description. Granted, the first major tax overhaul in more than three decades is not a panacea. It’s come under an increasing amount of criticism from many factions.

A combination of dynamic and powerful forces including cyber risk, ever-accelerating technological advances, regulatory complexity, natural and human-made catastrophes, and globalization of the supply chain confronts manufacturers more than at any other point in history. To respond to this continually evolving array of risks, executives need robust tools and fresh insights to support their understanding of the risk landscape, as well as to accurately assess the sophistication, effectiveness, and maturity of their risk management programs.

See the most popular content from 2017; the impact of hurricanes on the economy, infrastructure investment, encouraging diversity and inclusion in the workforce, the impacts of the GDPR, and the new language of digital.   

Definitions matter and they aren’t universal. In the digital landscape, we are each an interpreter navigating a brave new world. What is a digital strategy? Are we digitizing or digitalizing our business? Do those words mean the same thing or are they different? And what about digital transformation? Is this term a new business buzzword or a profound transformation on the horizon that requires significant preparation?

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investors were once perceived as an element of activist communities working to influence distinct aspects of company behavior. Over time, the focus of ESG investors has broadened as institutional investors have identified ESG topics as issues that impact company performance and value. In fact, according to the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance, there has been a 25% increase in assets managed under responsible investment strategies for a total pot of $22.89 trillion since 2014.

Building resilience into the business is important. Whether it is creating business continuity plans or assessing risks to the business or its employees, it is imperative that companies prepare to weather bumps in the road. At the same time, companies should also pay attention to the infrastructure surrounding their companies and the changes that can affect them as well.

In today's business landscape, data and computer controls are at the center of how organizations operate. Your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, manufacturing execution system (MES), financial planning system, human resources platform, customer relationship management (CRM) system, and payroll system are just a few of the key systems running your business. Every one of these systems is vulnerable and needs to be protected from cybersecurity threats.