February 2014

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 25 feb 2014

Information transparency in the functioning of the public and private organizations is key to improve processes and eliminate corruption and exploitation. David Cameron, PM of UK, intends to drive this 'Transparency Revolution' in global trade. Nick Murry in this article points out the critical role that sustainability would play in supporting transparency in business exchanges, particularly in case of dealing with emerging markets. Being responsible and sustainable are recognized as two most important criteria for modern businesses. Richard Branson's 'The B Team' project is also intended to create awareness about the profitable benefits of social and environmental responsibility. Companies are applying sustainability principles in their supply chains to drive efficiency and manage risks. The suppliers from emerging markets, to build and maintain relationships with global businesses, have to be open about sustainability, maintain international standards and practices, publish data and assure, as much as possible, to mitigate risks associated with emerging market supply chains. Read on...

Supply Management: Sustainability key to the transparency revolution
Author: Nick Murry

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 25 feb 2014

American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), representing more than 100,000 medical professionals, is developing programs to contribute and improve the healthcare in India. According to AAPI president Dr. Jayesh Shah, the plan is underway to collaborate with government and launch Swasthya India platform to utilize the expertise of the Indian origin doctors for better healthcare to India's population. In a recent meeting with various stakeholders of the Indian healthcare system, the priorities that were discussed include - improving overall quality standards and accreditation process for hospitals; standardization of protocols and strong audit and tracking system; improved collaboration between hospitals and academic institutions; promote medical research. Read on...

PharmaBiz: American physicians of Indian origin extend support to improve healthcare quality in India
Author: Joseph Alexander

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 23 feb 2014

Social media can be an effective tool to engage and involve audience towards the causes of NGOs and nonprofits. But there is more to it then just creating a profile and posting updates at any of the available social media platforms. One of the most important component is understanding the target audience and to focus all social strategy on them. Moreover social media can provide an opportunity to expand the existing user base that is developed by the website and other marketing channels. Article provides three step guide to better understand the audience - (1) Determine a Social Media Target Audience (2) Find Out How the Target Audience Uses Social Media (3) Do Some Internal Digging. Read on...

Huffington Post: Non-Profits and Social Media: 3 Steps to Defining Your Audience
Author: Tulani Elisa

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 23 feb 2014

Content Marketing Institute defines 'Content Marketing' as "Marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience - with the objective of driving profitable customer action." Over a period of time the content has grown enormously in all media like internet, TV etc and so do challenges related to differentiating and competing on the basis of content for brand development. In the article author provides strategies to have effective content marketing on the internet - First, Stop Calling it Content (brands need to become publishers); Define Your Mission (for successful brand publishing define what is being offered to the world); Strive to Hold Attention, Not Grab Attention (think in terms of delivering experience that not only brings the users back but also motivates them to share the content with their circles); Creating a True Value Exchange (focus on value proposition to the world alongwith the specific benefits of the brand to users); Forget About Content Strategy and Focus on Content Skills (develop skills that provide useful and meaningful content experience). Read on...

Forbes: How To Do Content Marketing Right
Author: Greg Satell

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 18 feb 2014

Nitrogen, the largest component of air, is the essential requirement for crop growth but most of it is provided by fertilizers. The only exceptions are some legumes that can absorb nitrogen directly from air with the help of bacteria. Professor Edward Cocking of University of Nottingham is now developing an innovative technique, termed as N-Fix, to put a nitrogen-fixing bacteria into the cells of plant roots that would fulfil its nitrogen requirement from air. The research has critical implications for agricultural practices. According to Dr. Edward Cocking, 'The world needs to unhook itself from its ever increasing reliance on synthetic nitrogen fertilizers produced from fossil fuels with its high economic costs, its pollution of the environment and its high energy cost'. The first European Nitrogen Assessment (ENA) launched in 2011, mentions the cost of damage caused by nitrogen across Europe as 70-320 billion Euro while the benefit of using nitrogen fertilizers in European agriculture is only 20-80 billion Euro. Read on...

The Times of India: A new technology may make fertilizers irrelevant
Author: Subodh Varma

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 14 feb 2014

China's manufacturing goods industry with its modern mass production factories and cheap labor is one of the most dominant and competitive in the world. Will 3D printing affect and transform Chinese manufacturing? In the article, authors of the latest book 'Fabricated: The New World of 3D Printing', Melba Kurman and Hod Lipson, share their insight and opinion on how 3D printing technology changes the dynamics of the Chinese manufacturing sector. Among the skeptics is Terry Gou, the CEO of one of the largest manufacturer, Foxconn. But the industry is now adopting the technology, although a bit late as compared to US and Europe. There are now seven 3D printer manufacturers located in China and the world's largest 3D printer manufacturer Stratsys, based in US, planning to open its office there. Moreover the technology will also assist China to evolve into high-end manufacturing and related services. Chinese government is considering it as priority and mentions it in their 12th Five Year Plan. The key goals include - investment in R&D; move up the value chain and focus on high-end & high-margin manufacturing in biotech, IT, innovative materials etc; upgrade skills of the labor force. During the course to achieve the goals there will be challenges. 3D printing technology may not totally displace the current mass manufacturing but it has the potential to find its own niche for premium custom products and services, both for the domestic and global markets. Read on...

Yahoo News: How 3D Printing Will Transform Chinese Manufacturing
Authors: Melba Kurman, Hod Lipson

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 14 feb 2014

3D printing is the latest manufacturing technology that can create objects by depositing material layer by layer directly from a digital file. Development of individualized products based on customer specifications and needs is an advantage of the technology. It is used for both prototyping and manufacturing in variety of industries like medical applications, architecture & construction, industrial design, automotive, fashion etc. According to Andrew Maher, 3D printing can provide operational efficiencies as the products can be manufactured in proximity to the point of delivery and consumption. Survey by DHL Supply Chain mentions that 3D printing will become prominent in the next 10 years while several companies are in the process of introducing the technology into their operations in next 3 to 5 years. Read on...

Brisbane Times: Shape of things to come
Author: Carolyn Cummins

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 08 feb 2014

Proper geriatric or elderly care is a critical component of the healthcare ecosystem. Due to physical and mental conditions of the old age and related disorders and diseases, focused planning and management to provide better lifestyle to the elders is a necessity. Technology can also play an important role by assisting the seniors while they spend their life in the comfort of their homes. Large number of companies are participating to develop devices and applications for this segment of the aging population. According to Laurie M. Orlov, a geriatric care specialist, the market is expected to grow from US$ 2 billion (2013) to US$ 20 billion by 2020 and most of this growth will be in areas such as remote health monitoring. Entrepreneurs, Geof Auchinleck designed a health monitoring tablet device specifically for seniors living at home, and Robert Herzog developed a healthcare management system that can be used by caregivers, health professionals and family members. Read on...

The Age: Want to grow old at home? Technology to the rescue
Author: Mark Miller