U.S.-based 3PLs are stepping up their international supply-chain capabilities to keep their customers competitive in the new global economy.

It's a mistake to see the financial information reporting and documentation requirements of the act as the responsibility solely of either the CFO or the IT department. Sarbanes has many implications for supply-chain management.

The morning after the high-tech boom, a lot of expensive software is sitting around unused. But companies are starting to wake up to its potential.

Supply-chain plans tend to collapse when demand spikes, supplier failures and other problems at the execution level radically change the underlying assumptions. But better planning techniques, event management tools and a new generation of web-based collaborative solutions can keep these plans on track.

As manufacturers and retailers outsource more and more of their business processes, they will need sourcing solutions that provide real-time information to all parties.

The breadth and depth of web-based applications for managing procurement and sourcing is expanding to the point that it touches on just about every important business process a company performs.

A good relationship with partners is the best contingency plan