Shifting trade conditions and tariffs have set the stage for frontier markets in Africa to emerge, but how can global brands and manufacturers tap into this vast wealth of resources? Global trade winds are shifting, driven by mounting forces that range across political, social, and economic landscapes. Uncertainty looms in the forms of tariffs, trade wars, and populism. Commerce continues to undergo a transformation as Uber-ization and the Amazon effect continue to play out across industries, redefining customer expectations in both the B2C and B2B sectors.

Into Africa: Tapping vast resources beyond China as trade conditions remain volatile.

A rising middle class emerging from China and India is creating new opportunities that come with new demands and challenges.

For the longest time, procurement and supply management teams have focused on cost-savings and providing accurate supply for their businesses. More specifically, their value was primarily limited to efficiency (the minimization of cost for procurement services) and effectiveness (the maximization of business value). In recent years, there is an increased focus beyond price reduction, with concentration towards contribution to total cost of ownership (TCO), and the management of overall value and demand.

Today, it’s about the value experience: the optimization of procurement relationships, engagement and collaboration for employees, customers and suppliers. In doing so, start to consider ways procurement and supply management teams provide value to the rest of the organization, outside of cost cutting.

The Factory of the Future is coming, and it's being built on technology, innovation, and advanced manufacturing capabilities. But what is it, exactly? And what are the technologies you need to know about to help your manufacturing company embrace the change?

The definition of the Factory of the Future is evolving; even the name is in flux. Some call it Smart Manufacturing, Industry 4.0, or the Digital Enterprise. While the terms may vary, there's one thing that is clear: The Factory of the Future is the product of fast-changing disruptive technologies hitting manufacturing like a cyclone. Information technology and operational technology are both seeing drastic innovations and the convergence of these two forces is creating a paradigm shift. Manufacturing is experiencing the fourth industrial revolution.

May the good things of life be yours in abundance, not only at Thanksgiving but throughout the coming year.

When CFOs adopt innovative technology, they help build organizations that are more agile, profitable, effective, and positioned for growth. Here are the five actions CFOs can take immediately to get started down the right path:

1. Develop one single source of the truth—Data is the currency of success. Effective data management translates to big opportunities for companies that are intent on growth. But the key to effective data management is creating one source of the truth—a central data repository. Everyone needs to work from the same set of information, if your organization is going to operate as efficiently and effectively as possible. Companies can uncover key insights about their customers and business processes by breaking down data silos and building one single source of the truth. Whether that data comes from a single source, or more likely, multiple disparate sources, it needs to be visible from one place, so it can be trusted as reliable and acted upon by everyone who needs to make decisions.

Probably one of the most famous quotes in marketing comes from Harvard Business School Professor Theodore Levitt: “People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole!”

That, in a nutshell is servitization.  Turning a traditional product offering into a service. This new customer-centric feature becomes a differentiator, adding value, building relationships, preventing commoditization, and adding profits. Data insights, generated from the Internet of Things (IoT) are often at the heart of the new service offering. Sometimes the new offering is used to generate revenue, replace the old product-centric business model, or be a complimentary add-on designed to boost loyalty.

One of the common pushbacks with the use of analytics relates to the perceived ubiquity of imperfect data. This sentiment should be familiar to many: "We can't properly analyze and make decisions until we have corrected the quality issues in the data." Unfortunately, analytics must often be based on incomplete or "dirty" data. The first step in dealing with this reality is to understand and accept that information will likely never be perfect.

Sales professionals rely on an array of different criteria to be successful: strong personal skills, a good product, reliable technology, and efficient processes. To help sales reps be more effective, organizations have made huge investments in customer relationship management (CRM) systems and other technologies.

Innovation is a central component of the manufacturing industry. It can take many forms and address many functions. It can be a simple tactic for improving shop floor operations. It can be a concept for a new type of product or service. It can be a revolutionary approach that completely disrupts the way you do business. But all innovations start much the same way: as an idea.

How does innovation fit into your growth strategy?

The biggest mall owner in the U.S., Simon Property Group, is teaming with online shopping site Rue La La’s parent company to launch a new kind of website for people looking for deals.

The real estate company announced Wednesday it’s partnering with Rue Gilt Groupe, which is backed by Michael Rubin, CEO of Fanatics’ parent company Kynetic, to create a new e-commerce business for discount shopping.

Simon has been testing the website “ShopPremiumOutlets.com” since March, building on its premium outlet centers business. The mall owner operates dozens of premium outlet centers nationwide and a handful overseas. It’s been working with certain retailers at those centers — which include Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in New York — to test selling merchandise together on this site. It says it has signed on more than 2,000 designers, and has about 300,000 products.