Latest news with #operationalEfficiency
National Post
2 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Just Energy Partners with HCLTech for AI-Led Business Transformation
Article content NEW YORK & NOIDA, India — HCLTech, a leading global technology company, announced that it has been selected by Just Energy, a leading US-based energy supply company, to enhance Just Energy's operations and customer experience. Article content HCLTech will leverage its integrated Digital Process Outsourcing solutions suite and GenAI platform AI Force to enhance operational efficiency across Just Energy's IT, finance, analytics, customer care, sales and renewals functions. Article content Article content HCLTech will also deploy digitalCOLLEAGUE, its comprehensive and role-specific single-UI platform and Toscona, its business process optimization suite, to improve workforce collaboration and business process management. Article content 'We are confident that HCLTech's proven expertise and commitment to service excellence will help us achieve our key business objectives relating to operational efficiency and service improvements,' said Scott Fordham, Chief Operating Officer of Just Energy. Article content 'We are excited to join Just Energy on their journey to boost operational efficiency and enhance the customer experience. By combining our expertise in GenAI and digital process outsourcing, HCLTech will contribute significantly to Just Energy's innovation strategy and customer satisfaction,' said Ajay Bahl, Chief Growth Officer, Americas, Manufacturing and Allied Industries, HCLTech. Article content is a global technology company, home to more than 223,000 people across 60 countries, delivering industry-leading capabilities centered around digital, engineering, cloud and AI, powered by a broad portfolio of technology services and products. We work with clients across all major verticals, providing industry solutions for Financial Services, Manufacturing, Life Sciences and Healthcare, High Tech, Semiconductor, Telecom and Media, Retail and CPG and Public Services. Consolidated revenues as of 12 months ending March 2025 totaled $13.8 billion. To learn how we can supercharge progress for you, visit Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content For further details, please contact:
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Food and beverage companies shift to future-ready operations
How F&B companies can navigate rising input costs, shifting consumer demands, tightening regulations and increasing supply chain complexity. Global food commodity prices are still about a third higher than pre-Covid levels, according to the UN FAO Food Price Index. With significantly higher prices impacting margins, F&B companies need strategies to optimise costs by improving operational efficiency. Yet just 16 per cent of food and beverage processors expect to redesign or consolidate their plants in 2025. In this environment, operational efficiency is no longer about fine-tuning legacy systems; it requires reimagining performance through a more integrated lens. By evolving traditional lean, agile and six sigma (LASSi) methodologies into a future-ready strategy – one augmented by data, technology and adaptability – F&B companies can build more resilient, responsive, and sustainable operations. This approach gives F&B companies a powerful framework to drive efficiency, adaptability and quality. Lean boosts process efficiency, agile enables faster response to market shifts and six sigma reduces variability through data. – shifting operations from reactive to proactive. Lean foundations, digital liftoff Operational makeovers that endure always start lean. Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company cut the number of plants it runs by 30 per cent (from 80 to 56) between 2008 and 2021, yet boosted production lines per site by 44 per cent and trimmed distribution centres and warehouses by two-thirds, all while preserving overall capacity. Meanwhile, Nestlé's Continuous Excellence programme couples lean methodologies with total productive maintenance (TPM). Since Nestlé launched the programme in 2008, it has delivered 5 to 6 per cent organic growth every year and realises roughly $1.7 billion in annual savings. This demonstrates how LASSi boosts efficiency, capacity and growth – setting the stage for tech-driven gains. Building on that lean base, efficiency now means redesigning work by integrating digital technologies with physical processes and materials. Unilever shows the leap: by pairing AI and robotics with 3D printing, it fine-tunes portion-controlled ice-cream packs – dosing each unit at the exact weight, volume and temperature consumers expect while keeping lines agile for shifting demand. Looking to gain better return on investment (ROI) on promotions and compete with private labels, Kraft Heinz has taken an approach that marries tech investments with agile methodologies to develop its in-house capabilities in tandem with vendor partnerships. By integrating agile methodologies with tech, Kraft Heinz has shrunk its innovation timeline from three years to six months and improved promo ROI by 10 per cent using AI to better identify the right product mix for a region or retail location. These examples show the importance of combining structural shifts – plant consolidation, supply chain reconfiguration – with tech adoption, such as AI, robotics or 3D printing. Applying this dual layer is what moves the dial. Address implementation challenges These early wins set the stage for the toughest hurdle: implementation. Embedding a culture of accountability and continuous improvement helps break down resistance to change, while upskilling employees through continuous training in evolving LASSi principles eases labour market pressures and keeps frontline talent aligned. Companies such as Starbucks, JBS6 and Mondelez are investing in education programmes that build future-ready skills – helping close the digital readiness gap while boosting employee retention. At Starbucks, for example, 75 per cent of participants show career growth after graduation. Keeping training in sync with emerging methods and tech ensures skills keep pace. Long-term education partnerships close the readiness gap, and tomorrow's winners will be those who cultivate talent as boldly as they deploy smart tools New ideas and technologies driving operational efficiencies While LASSi methodologies remain a strong foundation for efficiency in the F&B sector, emerging technologies are reshaping what's possible. Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing – powered by IoT, AI and machine learning – are enabling smart factories with real-time decision-making, predictive maintenance and greater automation. Digital twins offer a way to simulate and optimise processes before implementation. Meanwhile, digital tools are driving sustainable manufacturing through circular economy models, renewable energy use and eco-friendly materials. Greater use of big data and analytics is enhancing supply chain visibility, demand forecasting and efficiency, while blockchain integration is boosting transparency and trust across operations. As companies evolve their performance strategies, many are also blending core methodologies with complementary ones – such as total productive maintenance (TPM), theory of constraints (ToC) and sociotechnical systems (STS) – to address equipment reliability, process bottlenecks and the human-tech interface. Strategic frameworks such as Hoshin Kanri and innovation tools such as design thinking further enrich this mix. The result is a multi-lens approach that strengthens not just efficiency, but resilience and adaptability too. F&B pressures vary plant by plant, yet the winning playbook is the same: fuse foundational operational-excellence disciplines with smart tech and human-centric design. The blend yields quick wins – higher overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), lower waste, faster changeovers – while fortifying operations against regulation and demand swings. Emerging technologies don't replace proven operational-excellence disciplines – they amplify them. Companies that keep iterating this trio – methodologies, machines and mindsets – will convert efficiency into durable competitive advantage.
Globe and Mail
12-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Home Depot's Margins Hold Steady: Is Top-Line Growth Stalling?
Margins are a vital indicator of operational efficiency, and for The Home Depot Inc. HD, margins are its core strength. With its scale-driven cost leverage, tight inventory controls and robust supply chain, the retailer has consistently outperformed its peers on profitability. In first-quarter fiscal 2025, Home Depot maintained a gross margin of 33.8% and an adjusted operating margin of 13.2%, despite pressures from higher SG&A and integration of SRS Distribution. The ability to manage shrink, supply-chain productivity and pricing helped partially offset margin pressures, even as the company invested heavily in Pro ecosystem capabilities and digital tools like Magic Apron. This underscores its disciplined execution. However, top-line momentum tells a more tempered story. While total sales rose 9.4% to $39.9 billion—buoyed largely by acquisitions and calendar shifts—comparable sales declined 0.3%, with U.S. comps up just 0.2%. Big-ticket sales, often a barometer of remodeling demand, grew just 0.3%, as elevated interest rates weighed on demand for larger financed projects like kitchen and bath remodels. Instead, customers gravitated toward smaller DIY tasks and seasonal purchases, highlighting the ongoing macro sensitivity to elevated interest rates and sluggish housing turnover. Home Depot's Pro ecosystem expansion, digital tools like Magic Apron and exclusive brand deals are well-positioned to unlock future growth. However, without a rebound in large-scale renovation demand, fueled by easier credit or greater macro confidence, the company may find it challenging to convert margin resilience into sustained revenue acceleration. Home Depot's Competition From Margins Standpoint From a margin standpoint, Home Depot's main competitors are Lowe's Companies Inc. LOW and Walmart Inc. WMT. Home Depot typically maintains stronger net margins than Lowe's, driven by its scale, financial strength and operational efficiency. In first-quarter fiscal 2025, Lowe's posted a 33.4% gross margin and an 11.9% operating margin, with comparable sales down 1.7% due to weak big-ticket DIY demand and unfavorable weather. While Lowe's saw gains in Pro and online channels and continues to expand margin and ROIC, it still trails Home Depot in Pro penetration and supply-chain execution. The key difference lies in customer mix, Home Depot's more mature Pro ecosystem offers stability and higher margins, whereas Lowe's heavier DIY exposure makes it more sensitive to consumer spending shifts. Walmart, though significantly larger in revenues and similarly leveraged, operates with a very different margin profile than Home Depot. In first-quarter fiscal 2025, Walmart posted a gross margin of 24.2% and an operating margin of 5.1%, with a net profit margin of 2.75%, well below Home Depot's nearly 9%. Walmart's scale and grocery-heavy mix offer sales stability but limit margin upside. In contrast, Home Depot's focus on higher-margin categories like tools, appliances and Pro services supports stronger profitability. Walmart's pricing power is more exposed to rising costs and tariffs, prompting selective price hikes, while Home Depot's specialized model and margin flexibility help it maintain stable pricing. The Zacks Rundown for Home Depot HD shares have lost 7.3% year to date compared with the industry 's decline of 9%. From a valuation standpoint, Home Depot trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 23.22X, significantly higher than the industry's 20.83X. It carries a VGM Score of A. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HD's fiscal 2025 earnings implies a year-over-year decline of 1.3%, whereas its fiscal 2026 earnings estimates indicate year-over-year growth of 9.2%. The estimate for fiscal 2025 has been northbound in the past 30 days, while that for fiscal 2026 EPS has moved south in the same period. Home Depot currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. 5 Stocks Set to Double Each was handpicked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2024. While not all picks can be winners, previous recommendations have soared +143.0%, +175.9%, +498.3% and +673.0%. Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor. Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Walmart Inc. (WMT): Free Stock Analysis Report Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW): Free Stock Analysis Report The Home Depot, Inc. (HD): Free Stock Analysis Report
Skift
12-06-2025
- Business
- Skift
Grounded Ambitions: Can Spirit and Wizz Soar Again?
Spirit Airlines and Wizz Air are an ocean apart, but share common challenges which are impacting profitability and operational efficiency. In this episode of the Airline Weekly Lounge, hosts Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat tackle the challenges faced by Wizz Air and Spirit Airlines. They discuss Wizz Air's struggles with engine issues, market exits, and future growth opportunities, particularly in Eastern Europe. The conversation later shifts to Spirit Airlines, highlighting its financial difficulties, rising costs, and leadership changes. Listen to This Podcast Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | RSS Takeaways
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Panasonic TOUGHBOOK Delivers Connected Vehicle Solution For The AA
AA End-to-end management of project has increased vehicle connectivity, efficiency, and ROI for the UK's leading vehicle breakdown service. Bracknell, UK. 4th June 2025 – Panasonic TOUGHBOOK has successfully completed the installation of over 2,500 ruggedised 5G routers across The AA's roadside vehicle fleet, delivering enhanced connectivity, operational efficiency, and cost savings. The ambitious nationwide deployment of Panasonic's Connected Vehicle solution was completed in just over nine months, and was conducted in partnership with The AA, Cradlepoint (an Ericsson company), and Gamma Telecom. Panasonic TOUGHBOOK managed the entire process, including overall project management, testing, installation, training, reporting, and ongoing field services maintenance for the next five years. Optimised Connectivity Across the UKConnectivity is provided in a 25-metre radius around the vehicle. By integrating a seamless twin-5G modem solution, using primary and backup SIMs, The AA can take advantage of up to 98% connectivity across the UK. With real-time data from multiple hardware solutions and applications – such as vehicle diagnostics, onboard cameras, and call-out information – reliant on strong, reliable connectivity, Panasonic's solution minimises downtime and maximises efficiency at the roadside. It also reduces total cost of ownership for The AA, as individual cellular plans for multiple devices are not required. This helps to prevent any unexpected data usage costs, whilst removing the need to purchase multiple devices with 5G capabilities. To further optimise operations, Panasonic also manages Ericsson's NetCloud Manager platform on behalf of The AA, providing real-time insights into data usage, application efficiency, and network performance. The single-pane-of-glass monitoring system provides full visibility over the entire fleet, providing The AA with real-time insights into the solution's effectiveness. Maximising Efficiency at the Roadside For some patrols, The AA also utilises a Screen Mirroring Solution, which enables on-screen data from a TOUGHBOOK rugged device to be displayed on an infotainment screen in the front of patrol vehicles. This increases productivity, flexibility and communication for The AA's technicians. Wendy Richardson-Brooks, IT Operations Improvement & Innovation Manager at The AA, said: 'This is a game-changing solution for our patrols. With our previous solution that could only connect to 3G or 4G connections, connectivity was significantly reduced, stifling productivity on the roadside. Now, with Panasonic and its partners, we have a ruggedised solution that delivers close to 100% connectivity for all of our patrols. This helps our technicians to more quickly and efficiently diagnose and repair vehicles at the roadside – increasing customer satisfaction.' Nick Miller, EU Sales Strategy Manager at Panasonic TOUGHBOOK, added: 'This project demonstrates Panasonic's commitment to delivering best-in-class connectivity solutions, in condensed time frame. By combining cutting-edge ruggedised routers, industry-leading network management, and a fully managed service approach, Panasonic is ensuring The AA's fleet remains at the forefront of technological innovation.' For more information on Panasonic's Connected Vehicle offering, please click here: For more information on Panasonic's Vehicle Integration Services, please click here: Panasonic Press Contact Daniel Creasey UK &I Marketing Manager at Panasonic TOUGHBOOK Panasonic Press Contact Jim Pople C8 Consulting jim@ About the Panasonic GroupFounded in 1918, and today a global leader in developing innovative technologies and solutions for wide-ranging applications in the consumer electronics, housing, devices, B2B solutions and energy sectors worldwide, the Panasonic Group switched to an operating company system on April 1, 2022, with Panasonic Holdings Corporation serving as a holding company. The Group reported consolidated net sales of Euro 51.6 billion (8,458.2 billion yen) for the year ended March 31, 2025. To learn more about the Panasonic Group, please visit: About Panasonic Connect Europe GmbHPanasonic Connect Europe began operations on October 1st, 2021, creating a new Business-to-Business focused and agile organisation. With more than 400 employees and led by CEO Shusuke Aoki, the business aims to contribute to the success of its customers with innovative products and integrated systems and services – all designed to deliver its vision to Change Work, Advance Society and Connect to Tomorrow. Panasonic Connect Europe is headquartered in Wiesbaden and consist of the following business units: The Mobile Solutions Business Division helping mobile workers improve productivity with its range of Toughbook rugged notebooks, business tablets and handhelds. The Media Entertainment Business Division incorporating Visual System Solutions offering a range of high brightness and reliable projectors as well as high quality displays; and Broadcast & ProAV offering Smart Live Production solutions from an end-to-end portfolio consisting of PTZ and system cameras, camcorders, the Kairos IT/IP platform, switchers and robotic solutions that are widely used for live event capture, sports production, television, and xR studios. Business and Industry Solutions delivering tailored technology solutions focused on Retail, Logistics and Manufacturing. Designed to increase operational efficiency and enhance customer experience, helping businesses to perform at their best, every day. Panasonic Factory Solutions Europe selling a wide range of smart factory solutions including electronics manufacturing solutions, robot and welding systems and software solutions engineering. For more information please visit: Please visit Panasonic Connect Europe's LinkedIn page: Attachment AAError in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
