David Lengacher introduces a forecasting tool ideally suited for use in the global economic crisis. When it comes to forecasting any aspect of a companyÔÇÖs future performance, the mathematics and calculations required can get very tricky. This is especially true in cases that involve managing risk and measuring opportunitiesÔÇötwo tasks which can involve hundreds, if not thousands, of potential outcomes with different likelihoods of occurrence.┬á  In this arena a single prediction, such as the most likely outcome, is of little use to managers.

┬áAdvancing the business in the down marketIn a downturn, forward-looking executives focus not only on survival, they also prepare the business for recovery. Article three in this series on effective executive management during an economic downturn describes the strategies and practices that business leaders must deploy to achieve this. IntroductionEconomic downturns are accompanied by the failure of weak businesses and ineffective executive teams.

Seventy three American International Group Inc. executives - including 11 who no longer work for the company - were each last week given bonuses worth more than $1 million, causing a backlash of anger from lawmakers and taxpayers.

Flying┬áhigh┬áThe Logistics Center of the FAAÔÇÖs Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center must move people, parts and heavy equipment at a momentÔÇÖs notice, Linda Seid Frembes finds out. The Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City is one of only two centers for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and serves as the central logistics organization for the FAA and the Department of Transportation (DOT).

The winds of change┬áGlobal shipping agency Norton Lilly is eighteen months into a business transformation. CFO Jim Burton shares with Gay Sutton the secrets of managing change effectively. With a proud history dating back to 1841, Norton Lilly International is a well-known and highly respected name in the shipping industry. With offices in over 37 ports around the US plus others in Europe and the Middle East, it has grown to become North AmericaÔÇÖs largest independent shipping agency. Owned by H.W.

Asset light asset right┬áWhile many competitors in the transportation and logistics business have built up debt through acquisitions of vehicles, Panalpina has taken an entirely different approach, as Alan T Swaby learns. You would think that the name of the third- or fourth-largest mover of freight in the world might be vaguely familiar, particularly as the writer spent a couple of years living in Switzerland, where the Panalpina Group has its corporate headquarters.

Charting a new courseUnited Maritime Group emerges from obscurity to answer the complex transporting needs of a global world. Kate Sawyer reports. United Maritime GroupÔÇÖs captains are familiar with the worldÔÇÖs vast shipping lanes, both deep-water transcontinental ocean courses and continental river systems. No matter what the cargo, or where the destination, this companyÔÇÖs unique structure of comprehensive specialty divisions allows it to get the job done.

The suppliers' supplierNational Bronze & Metals supplies a wide variety of copper alloys. Keith Regan learns from president Michael Greathead how winning customersÔÇÖ trust and investing in the future will pave the way for growth. At a time when many businesses are embarking on initiatives to reduce their inventory, National Bronze & Metals is expanding the copper alloy products it keeps in stock.

The global supply chainHardinge Inc, a global supplier of metal cutting solutions, believes a tightly run global supply chain can be a powerful competitive weapon. Keith Regan learns how itÔÇÖs using its worldwide footprint to make that idea a reality. More than six years ago, Hardinge Inc. began an internal lean journey . . . . . . seeking ways to simplify, speed up and shorten the manufacturing and assembly process used to produce its family of turning, grinding, milling machines and workholding products sold to manufacturers around the world.

Sustainable mobilityAt Ford, sustainability and environmental issues are as important as producing cleaner, more efficient vehicles, group vice-president Sue Cischke explains to Gary Toushek. These are challenging times indeed for the Big Three automakers in Detroit, as they re-focus and re-tool for more energy efficient and alternative energy vehicles. Along with its own major strategic initiative to produce vehicles with reduced greenhouse gas emissions, the Ford Motor Company is formally recognizing its responsibility as a cooperative corporate citize