by John Sucich | Jul 2, 2020 | Manufacturing & Supply Chain
As states and countries re-open in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hope is that everything will get back to normal. There are certainly aspects of life that will never quite get back to what they were like before the pandemic. The supply chain could very well end up being one aspect that is forever changed.
In a recent survey by BSI, about half of the respondents said that they will be making changes to their supply chain going forward. Just what those changes might look like for these organizations and many others is hard to imagine at this point. Here are a couple of possible approaches businesses could take, and how the supply chain of the future might shape up.
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by Meredith Galante | Jun 30, 2020 | Wine & Spirits
Despite rising COVID-19 cases, most of the governors in the United States have lifted stay-at-home orders. But some states such as Texas have now banned bars from serving alcohol to keep the infectious virus at bay.
The unprecedented stay-at-home orders and whiplash of phased reopening starting and pausing have left customers craving their favorite cocktail, and disgruntled brands looking for new revenue streams.
In response, some state legislatures are working to change their laws to allow alcohol delivery.
Many states forbid shipping wine and spirits, halting the growth of delivery giants such as Drizly and hampering direct-to-consumer efforts from wineries and distilleries.
During the pandemic, residents tried to stay home, but the demand grew for happy hours at home and delivery. (more…)
by Kathy Sucich | Jun 25, 2020 | All, Healthcare
States across the country are now easing lockdown restrictions, increasing the number of interactions people have on a daily basis. In order to continue to reduce the number of COVID-19 infections and prevent new stay-at-home orders, contact tracing will increase in importance.
When it comes to contact tracing, quick action is necessary to quarantine potentially infected people to prevent them from spreading the virus. How can public health officials ensure that they have the most up-to-date data to do this effectively? Let’s take a look.
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by Parker Jones | Jun 23, 2020 | Wine & Spirits
While the COVID-19 pandemic has not slowed down purchases of wine and spirits from liquor stores and online vendors, it did eliminate one crucial avenue of beverage sales: restaurants and other social venues. Premium wines have taken an especially big hit, since people tend to order more expensive wine when they go out, but drink the cheaper stuff at home. This shift has had a dramatic impact on the wine industry in the months since the pandemic began.
Even before the stay-at-home orders went into effect, on-premise drinking was experiencing an overall decline. But that may soon start to change yet again. Restaurants in 44 states have reopened, or are set to reopen in some capacity in the near future. While many are still rightfully cautious about the spread of disease, the months of isolation have left others eagerly awaiting the chance to go out to eat and drink, especially taking into account the pleasant summer weather.
Will people risk coming out in numbers this summer for social drinking? And how will outdoor drinking this summer affect the wine and spirits industry? Let’s examine.
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by Meredith Galante | Jun 16, 2020 | Wine & Spirits
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people work, live, travel, and drink.
All 50 states have started to ease restrictions and stay-at-home orders, but the pandemic may affect the luxury wine industry for years to come. Napa Valley vineyards began opening in early June, but things will look different with social distancing measures in place and likely only local visitors.
Most wineries will now require employees and guests to wear masks, and visitors will need to make reservations. With restrictions and fear of travel, is enotourism dead? (more…)
by Lindsey Berke | Jun 15, 2020 | Healthcare
After almost three months of quarantine and social distancing measures in the U.S., there’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted most, if not all, industries across the nation. But the industry that has been continuously affected the most by COVID-19 is healthcare. Currently, telehealth and telemedicine are hot topics within the industry, and there are a few changes that telehealth will bring into the healthcare industry even after the disease subsides. In this blog post, we’ll examine a few of those changes, including the benefits and concerns of post-pandemic telehealth. (more…)
by Parker Jones | Jun 11, 2020 | General BI
With stay-at-home orders being eased, millions of Americans are returning to work for the first time in months. But the workplaces they return to won’t be the same as the ones they left. Social distancing is here to stay, and it’s going to have a profound effect on the dynamics of the average workplace.
Workers can expect new rules and procedures to be in place when they come back. Masks will be required, communal dining areas will be gone, and work spaces will be spread farther apart. These measures are unfortunate, but they will be extremely important for maintaining health and safety for the foreseeable future. But how do you make sure an entire office or workplace full of people follows these rules at all times?
That is where social distancing technology comes in. Several large companies are exploring options for technology that could be integrated into the workplace which would monitor employees to ensure that they maintain the proper distances. But what that technology will look like, and how it will affect workers’ privacy, is still uncertain. (more…)
by Kathy Sucich | Jun 9, 2020 | General BI
The 2020 Wisdom of Crowds Business Intelligence Market Study is out, which provides an annual look at key trends in business intelligence (BI) and provides user scores on 27 vendors using Dresner Advisory Services’ 33-criteria vendor performance management system.
For the 11th straight year, Dimensional Insight performed very well in the survey, improving upon its results from last year and earning a perfect recommend score. The report had several other interesting insights about the state of business intelligence. Here are the most important takeaways. (more…)
by Kathy Sucich | Jun 4, 2020 | Healthcare
Note: This article was originally published on LinkedIn as a summary of ACHE of Massachusetts’ inaugural “Virtual After 5” event. Kathy Sucich is communications chair of the organization.
On Wednesday, May 27th, several Massachusetts healthcare leaders participated in ACHE of Massachusetts’ first “Virtual After 5” event. This event provided a friendly, low-key way for leaders to catch up with each other and share how their organizations have been faring over the last several months. The COVID-19 pandemic was obviously top of mind for attendees, and they shared lessons learned during this time of crisis. Here are some of the most important learnings that were shared between attendees. (more…)
by Meredith Galante | Jun 2, 2020 | Wine & Spirits
Mom and Dad are willing to pay up for a quality cab, but their children are saying, “No more.”
Premium wine, defined as wine priced at more than $10 a bottle, is “nearing its apex as a trend, indicated by the decline in total wine sales volume,” according to Silicon Valley Bank’s annual report on the wine industry.
The category is falling because of the difficulty in passing price increases on to consumers, and too many grapes. The current global pandemic, which is resulting in record unemployment rates, isn’t helping either.
“With an oversupply and the fact that price increases are nearly impossible against the backdrop of slowing sales, the trend and mantra of premiumization that pushed volume and price higher for the past 25 years is nearing an end,” Silicon Valley Bank’s report said. (more…)
