"We want to be responsible operators and buyers," says Max Verstraete, vice president of corporate responsibility for Hilton. The hospitality company, which has 14 brands covering more than 5,000 properties in 104 countries and territories, buys a lot of products. "Whether it’s furniture or ketchup bottles for room service trays, TVs, electronics — pretty much anything you can think of — we’re probably buying," he says.

Worried about managing supply-chain risk? All you need is cash.

In the event of a natural disaster, there's a new tool that can help emergency responders and supply-chain managers find order in the chaos.

Wal-Mart Stores is rolling out shelf-scanning robots in more than 50 U.S. stores to replenish inventory faster and save employees time when products run out.