Nearshoring and Onshoring to make their way back?

At a recent supply chain conference in Dublin, Ireland, Michael Proffitt - a global supply chain expert - claimed that nearshoring and onshoring were on their way back to the developed world. He stated that as the cost of oil and fuel kept rising coupled with disruptive world events and increasing security concerns, organizations in the developed world are beginning to think twice about outsourcing all their manufacturing requirements to China and the Far East. Michael cited River Island, a large UK clothing retailer as an example. Due to increasing transportation costs, time lag and security concerns, River Island have brought back their manufacturing requirements from the Far East to be sourced locally in the UK. If the cost of oil keeps steadily rising on world markets, he believes that there will be much diminshed returns from outsourcing your manufacturing requirements to distant locations.

Stress in the workplace got you down?

Stress: Mental, emotional, or physical strain or tension. Check. America's number one health problem? Check. Loss of sleep, increased heartrate, dialated eyes? Check, check, check. Stress affects each and every one of us. With today's economy being the way it is, we're either stressed at work, or stressed about finding work. The biggest challenge is that it's completely individualized, what causes you stress, might not be stressful to someone else. But unless that stress is alleviated, long-term stress can create a number of physical ailments ranging from depression to heart disease and even higher susceptibility to illnesses like the flu or pneumonia.

If our main source of stress comes from work, it's safe to say we're the most stressed when we're at work. Is it the constant influx of emails and calls? An evil co-worker, perhaps? According to a poll produced by the American Psychological Association in 2011, only 52% of the population surveyed said their company makes them feel valued. If half of the population didn't feel their job was valuable, then that would definitely be cause for wanting to stay home in bed all day. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the most stressful), a staggering 72% of the population rated their daily stress level to be a 4 or higher with the average being 5.21 percent.

In our (B2BGateway's) industry, stress is just the nature of the beast. I'm fortunate enough to work in an environment where the attitude is, "work hard, play hard." We're constantly looking for ways to keep morale high, so whether it's a Wii ping pong tournament, a luncheon or some free time-off for having met goals, we all know that at the end of the day, all of our hard work pays off.

So, are you ready to take the high road and ditch the stress? Here are some of the top stress busting tips from the International Stress Management Association, UK:

1. Avoid unnecessary conflict- Only fight battles really worth winning. Try not to sweat the small stuff.

2. Adopt a healthy lifestyle- Try taking a walk at lunch. Not only will the endorphins put you in a better mood, the fresh air will help to clear your mind. Also, try to lay off things like cigarettes and alcohol as one is a stimulant and the other is a depressant!

3. Accept the things you cannot change- If your co-worker is a jerk, it's likely that they'll always be a jerk. It might be painful but the results are almost always the same. Kill 'em with kindness, and you'll always look like the good guy (and you'll probably get some satisfaction out of it).

4. Take time to recharge your batteries- Whether it's grabbing a bite with friends or watching a cheesy soap opera on the couch, give yourself some time to unwind.

5. Try to find the underlying problem- Discovering what the problem is will bring you one step closer to a solution. Even the smallest steps to alleviate that stress could be the answer to making your whole quality of life that much better.

What's your Green Contribution?

We’re all used to hearing the saying, “Every little bit helps,” and it certainly does, but do you know how much exactly? I mean, does it really matter whether or not you throw the one can of soda you drink a day in the trash? Well allow me to hit you with some knowledge.  That can will take 80 to 100 years to decompose.  That seems like a pretty long time to me, especially since 36 billion of them were landfilled last year. Recycling just one can conserve enough energy to run a television for three hours. That’s just a drop in the bucket compared to a glass bottle which takes 1,000,000 years to decompose. Literally, a million years! To put that into perspective, the Great Pyramids were built in 2,900 BC. That’s less than 5,000 years ago.

Americans throw away 4.6 pounds of trash every day, more than any other country,  1.5 pounds of which is recyclable materials. If you work in an office environment, that number is probably much higher. Unfortunately, paper and cardboard make up a staggering 73% of materials in the landfill.

So whether it’s a soda can, the newspaper or the empty toilet paper roll, reconsider putting it aside until you can recycle it. It might be a hassle, but those couple sodas a week translates to 156 cans a year, all of which will outlive us in a landfill. So whatever your contribution may be, just remember, every little bit helps.

Not sure where you can recycle near you? Log onto http://earth911.com/ for more information.

Irish Government launches e-Invoice pilot project for Irish public sector.

B2BGateway will partner with the National Procurement Service (NPS) of the Office of Public Works (OPW) to deliver e-Invoicing solutions as part of the Irish Governments e-Invoicing pilot project launched recently by Minister Brian Hayes. The e-Invoicing pilot project is part of the European PEPPOL (Pan Eurpean Public Procurement Online) innovation which aims to introduce e-Invoicing solutions to government and public bodies throughout the European Union. Pictured above B2BGateway CEO, Kevin Hoyle, with Irish Government Minister, Brian Hayes at Leinster House to announce the launch of the Irish Government's e-Invoicing pilot project.

Pumped for the Pats

Americans will spend more than $1 billion on Super bowl snacks this Year. What will your contribution be?

According to AdWeek and TurboTax, Super bowl viewers plan on spending $184 million on potato chips, $40 million on pretzels and $36 million on puffed cheese. That's right, puffed cheese.

The National Chicken Council states that more than 1.25 billion portions of wings will be consumed this weekend. That's enough to circle the globe...twice. That's a lot of wings, good thing chickens don't need them.

7-Eleven claims there is a 20% increase in antacids on the Monday after the Super bowl, according to Squidoo.com. That must be due to the 2 million pizzas we're consuming from Pizza Hut and $11.8 million worth of beer the day before.

So whether you're tuning in to root for the Patriots or the Giants, to watch a good ole' "Gronking," or just for the commercials, there's no doubt you'll be eating well this Sunday.