Latest news with #businessoperations
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Here's Why 3M Shares Slumped Today (and Why It Could Be a Good Buying Opportunity)
Key Points 3M raised its margin, earnings, and implied cash flow guidance, but lowered its full-year revenue growth expectations. Management is making excellent progress on improving the business operationally. 10 stocks we like better than 3M › 3M (NYSE: MMM) stock declined by 5.2% as of 2 p.m. ET today following the company's second-quarter earnings report. Despite the disappointing share price reaction, the results were solid, and there was plenty in the results to make investors feel that management is taking the company in the right direction. The bad and good news for 3M Starting with the bad news: 3M's end markets aren't improving as much as management had hoped at the start of the year. After nudging investors toward the low end of its initial full-year organic growth range of 2%-3% in April, CEO Bill Brown lowered it to 2%. That's probably the reason for the decline, compounded by management citing softness in key end markets for 3M, like consumer electronics, a challenged auto aftermarket, and a barely improving auto original equipment market. That said, there's little management can do about its end markets, but it can improve its operational performance. And the good news is, it's doing it very well. Some highlights from the report: New product introductions of 126 put it well on track to exceed its target of 215 in 2025. On-time-in-full (OTIF) deliveries at the highest level in nearly six years -- a key measure management is targeting. "Better asset utilization enabling the sunset of old equipment" Management raised full-year operating profit expansion guidance to 150 basis points to 200 basis points, from its original guidance of 130 basis points to 190 basis points. Full-year earnings per share guidance has been increased to $7.75-$8.00 from $7.60-$7.90 previously. In short, the company's self-help initiatives are effective, but the stock is being penalized due to end-market challenges. As such, the dip presents a buying opportunity, provided there's some stabilization in the consumer electronics and auto sectors, but that might require lower interest rates first. Do the experts think 3M is a buy right now? The Motley Fool's expert analyst team, drawing on years of investing experience and deep analysis of thousands of stocks, leverages our proprietary Moneyball AI investing database to uncover top opportunities. They've just revealed their to buy now — did 3M make the list? When our Stock Advisor analyst team has a stock recommendation, it can pay to listen. After all, Stock Advisor's total average return is up 1,069% vs. just 180% for the S&P — that is beating the market by 888.61%!* Imagine if you were a Stock Advisor member when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $687,149!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,060,406!* The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 15, 2025 Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends 3M. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Here's Why 3M Shares Slumped Today (and Why It Could Be a Good Buying Opportunity) was originally published by The Motley Fool Error 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
Forbes
15-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
It's Time To Put AI Agents To Work
AI agents offer big productivity boosts for nimble organizations seeking a competitive advantage. This playbook can help you get started. Few emerging technologies will afford organizations more opportunities to accelerate productivity and transform business operations than agentic AI, whose promise is surpassing even that of its generative AI (GenAI) cousin. Whereas GenAI tools are bound by their programming logic, agents will be given goals and entrusted to complete them, using contextual understanding and available data. Agents will perceive and learn from their environment and reason or 'think' their way through to accomplish the objectives assigned to them. In service of these goals, agents will also work with fellow agents, as well as other applications, and learn from each digital interaction to improve the way they operate. Excitement around agents' ability to autonomously execute business operations is growing. Eighty percent of organizations cite AI agents as the top or a high priority compared to other AI initiatives, with 51% already actively deploying agents, according to research from Enterprise Strategy Group.1 When strategically deployed, agentic AI will amplify your workforce's productivity and pave the way for better business outcomes. As with many new technologies, agentic AI will bring change management challenges and you may need help navigating this new frontier. That's why Dell and NVIDIA have created this eBook, which helps leaders both imagine the art of the possible and approach agentic AI use cases intentionally. How Agents Work For You Common use cases are emerging to illustrate agents' potential to augment, or even transform, organizations' operations. Customer Service. Organizations have long leaned on chatbots to field customer inquiries. While chatbots answered inquiries based on pre-programmed logic, agents have far more agency in addressing concerns, including wider latitude to solve problems in accordance with best-in-class service goals. For example, agents can use available data to personalize interactions in natural ways or deftly escalate interactions to a human if needed. Also, by integrating with modern CRM systems, agents can resolve inquiries, reducing wait times and improving customer satisfaction. Supply chain. Organizations have long paired predictive AI with human estimation to forecast demand for their products with middling success. Agents can markedly improve upon this process, monitoring and managing inventory systems 24-7. In case of inventory shortfalls, they can reroute shipments, adjust schedules and improve from every transaction over time. Software Development. A lot of code generation can be tedious and repetitive; agents can remedy that problem. A software programming agent might create new application features, check-in code, merge changes, review code on the fly and eliminate bugs. Digital twins. As great as their potential is, digital twins tend to be static representations of physical environments, such as machines. Analyzing data from sensors and edge devices, agents can simulate operations within digital twins, monitor performance, and anticipate failures. Most importantly: teams of agents can triage problems and help remediate them. These represent just a smattering of agentic AI use cases. View more in this Dell-NVIDIA eBook. Start Cautiously, But Start Now Now for some caveats. Watch a video of an AI agent in action and it feels like you're witnessing digital wizardry. As exciting as these early offerings may be, additional steps are required to facilitate broad agentic AI adoption. A lack of interoperability and standards persists, which hinders agents' ability to work together across organizations or collaborate across software platforms. When these hurdles are cleared there will be few limits to what agents can do. Now is the time to explore agentic AI and its impact on your IT architecture and platforms. Follow best practices and prioritize specific use cases that will most benefit your organization and drive meaningful return-on-investment. Then carefully plan how to integrate agents into organizational workflows across enterprise software systems and other IT operations, as well as physical environments such as operations systems and edge devices. Codify an agentic operating model and a strong governance plan. Lean on existing agentic AI success stories and begin building and piloting so that your agents can get their digital hands–on keys. Only by exploring the art of the possible can you steer your organization through the learning curves and move the needle from aspiration to accomplishment. Agentic AI requires powerful systems comprising modern and flexible infrastructure. The Dell AI Factory with NVIDIA, a framework that incorporates services, AI software and infrastructure, provides the foundation to power agentic AI systems at scale. NVIDIA NeMO and NIM microservices provides developers the tools they need to build and fuel agents. Partnering with Dell and NVIDIA, you can confidently implement agentic AI to unlock new levels of efficiency, automation and productivity. When it comes to agents, you're only limited by your organization's imagination—and appetite for innovation. What will your organization build? Learn more about the Dell AI Factory with NVIDIA.
South China Morning Post
04-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
HSBC offers Hong Kong SMEs a helping hand amid tariff turmoil
HSBC is launching a new education series to equip Hong Kong's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with knowledge to help them maintain smooth business operations amid the threat of disruption from US tariffs. Advertisement The city's largest lender said the Account Fitness initiative would help SMEs effectively manage and maintain healthy accounts. 'Many entrepreneurs of SMEs do not yet know how to take good care of the assets in their bank accounts,' said Frank Fang, general manager and head of commercial banking for HSBC Hong Kong and Macau, on Friday. 'Therefore, it is necessary for us to use both online and offline resources to help everyone understand this.' In April, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) said it was working with 18 lenders, including HSBC, Standard Chartered and Bank of China (Hong Kong), to support SMEs that were hit by US tariffs by providing them with flexible loans. Hong Kong had about 360,000 SMEs as of March, according to the Trade and Industry Department. The HSBC initiative includes a digital guidebook for SMEs, which covers seven essential habits for effective business account management, such as account usage, payment management and communication with banking partners. Advertisement HSBC said it would also offer personalised support including consultation and advisory services to help SMEs prevent common pitfalls that could disrupt their bank account usage.
Entrepreneur
17-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
BCIT Founder Elaborates on ERP's Expanding Role in Business Strategy and What That Means for Companies
You're reading Entrepreneur United Kingdom, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) has long been considered the backbone of business operations, integrating critical functions such as inventory management, procurement, production planning, and finance into a single system. Despite being an established technology, the ERP market continues to evolve, driven by emerging technologies, cloud adoption, and the need for more agile business operations. With a market size that will reach $147.7 billion in 2025 and an annual growth rate of 8% since 2022, ERP remains one of the most vital tools for modern enterprises navigating complex global supply chains. However, while ERP solutions evolve, so too do the challenges businesses face in implementing and maintaining these systems. Historically, businesses viewed ERP as a long-term investment—something implemented once and maintained for years, if not decades. However, that mindset is changing. "Many companies have held onto outdated ERP systems for too long, believing that upgrading would be costly or disruptive," says Branislav Chrastina, founder of BCIT, an ERP consulting firm specializing in Infor solutions. "But what we're seeing now is a shift with companies recognizing that staying competitive requires continuous adaptation." Branislav Chrastina Founder of BCIT One of the biggest drivers of this shift is the rise of cloud-based ERP. Traditionally, ERP implementations were highly customized and installed on-site, making upgrades complex and expensive. Today, multi-tenant cloud ERP solutions offer full functionality with lower upfront costs, faster updates, and built-in AI capabilities. This has significantly altered the competitive landscape, as businesses now weigh the benefits of flexibility against the perceived risks of moving critical operations to the cloud. "Infor has taken a strong position in the cloud ERP space," Branislav notes. "Unlike some providers that offer limited cloud functionality, Infor delivers a full-suite solution comparable to on-premise systems. That's a game changer for companies that need reliability without sacrificing innovation." Despite its benefits, ERP adoption is not without challenges. One of the biggest hurdles for companies implementing ERP is change management. Large organizations, especially those with fragmented systems and siloed departments, often struggle to unify their operations under a single ERP framework. Branislav shares an example of a company that they cater to, a global superalloy manufacturing firm. "They had multiple small, disconnected software packages running different parts of the business. The challenge wasn't just implementing ERP—it was changing the company's mindset to embrace a unified system. That's often the bigger hurdle," he says. Beyond cloud adoption, AI is reshaping how businesses interact with ERP software. From automating data entry to predicting supply chain disruptions, AI-enhanced ERP systems are enabling businesses to operate with greater efficiency and intelligence. According to Branislav, AI integration in ERP is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Companies that fail to leverage AI for demand forecasting, real-time analytics, and automated workflows risk inefficiencies that could cost them market share. Resistance to change, lack of internal expertise, and concerns over cost remain significant barriers. However, industry experts argue that businesses can no longer afford to delay ERP modernization. With increasing market competition and growing demands for real-time data insights, companies that lag behind in ERP adoption may find themselves unable to compete. BCIT has, therefore, prioritized ERP education among its team members. "We dedicate two hours each week to learning sessions focused on various ongoing subjects and their applications in ERP," Branislav explains. "We upskill ourselves to further help businesses make better decisions and operate more effectively." This emphasis on continuous learning is becoming a necessity across the industry. Consultants who specialize in ERP implementation often work on long-term projects, but the risk is that by the time one project is completed, the technology may have already advanced beyond their knowledge. "It's a real challenge," says Branislav. "If you spend two or three years on a single implementation without staying updated on new developments, you risk falling behind the market." The future of ERP, according to Branislav Charstina, will likely see even greater automation, deeper integration with machine learning algorithms, and a push toward real-time data analytics that can predict business trends before they happen. For businesses, the key takeaway is clear: ERP is not a static investment—it is a dynamic system that requires continuous evolution. Organizations that recognize this and proactively adapt to the changing landscape will not only survive but thrive in the digital era.
New York Times
02-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Aston Villa confirm ex-Juventus exec Francesco Calvo as president of business operations
Aston Villa have confirmed the appointment of Francesco Calvo as president of business operations. The Athletic revealed in April that Calvo's predecessor, Chris Heck, was leaving the club at the end of the season. Heck officially left his role at the end of May. Calvo, meanwhile, is set to join in July and will be responsible for leading the club's off the field commercial and business strategy, and tasked with increasing the club's overall revenue. Advertisement Calvo joins Villa after resigning from his position as chief football officer at Juventus in May, having first joined the Italian club in 2011 as commercial director before being promoted to chief revenue officer in 2014. From 2015 to 2018, he held the same position at Barcelona but then moved to Roma, where he briefly worked with Villa's president of football operations, Monchi. The pair will reunite in the Midlands and enjoy a strong working relationship. Calvo's experience across some of Europe's biggest clubs appealed to Villa, alongside his strong track record for working with fanbases. The aim is to build a stronger relationship between the football and business departments. 'It is a great honour for me to join this club at such an exciting time,' Calvo said. 'Everyone in football knows the history of and passionate support for Aston Villa. 'In the past few years, we've seen this begin to be matched by success on the pitch and progress off it under the ambitious ownership of V Sports. I look forward to working with the chairman, the board, Unai Emery and everyone at Aston Villa to continue driving this great institution forward.' ()
