There is no argument today about the impact that retail/apparel and footwear have had on the passive UHF market. Estimates vary on apparel's share, but it hovers around 70 percent to 80 percent of the total UHF market. And that includes only about 2 percent of the apparel items sold. In our recent research of RFID use among retailers, the retailers indicated an interest in expanding their use of RFID in apparel. And the tag industry that supports retailers is forecasting numbers between 23 percent to 35 percent growth in apparel use, as well. More retailers will be tagging more items in the next few years.

Companies that view transportation management as a core competency with a strategic impact approach technology acquisitions as investments and not merely as costs, says Mike Joseph, director of business development at LeanLogistics. Joseph discusses how this mindset is reflected in other supply chain trends.

In a manner similar to product or customer segmentation, supply chains can be segmented based on service capabilities, says Lalit Wadhwa of Avnet. Identifying different supply chains within an organization through segmentation can help companies improve service levels and lower costs, he says.

Customer value and safe operations always comes first at Sunny Delight, but the company also keeps a keen eye on costs. Kevin Singletary discusses steps to the perfect service/cost balance.

After more than two decades of development, cross-strait economic and trade ties between Taiwan and the mainland are undergoing a transition. Likewise, China's economy has also entered a transitional phase.

Professor Thomas Goldsby of Ohio State discusses his study of global macrotrends and how they will impact supply chains of the future.