Bijan is a senior consultant and co-founder of Symphony Consulting, a management consulting firm located in Sunnyvale, California that specializes in sourcing, procurement and supply chain management. This article originally appeared in the Symphony quarterly newsletter. From political campaigns to the shifting economy to adjustments in manufacturing strategy necessitated…

As the name implies, Silicon Valley is home to a vast number of software startups. From giants like Facebook and Google in the South Bay to Twitter, Zynga and Salesforce in San Francisco, it feels like there’s a new app, social network or cloud tool emerging every day. And…

As the saying goes, we don’t always appreciate a relationship until it ends. This is just as true in life as it is in manufacturing—especially when it comes to manufacturer/supplier relationships. While it's important to focus on establishing solid supplier relationships in the first place, you should also be prepared in…