Big Heart Pet Brands is the parent company for many of the biggest selling pet foods, including Kibbles 'n Bits, Meow Mix, Milk Bone and 9Lives. Ryan Dimond, manager of supply chain optimization, discusses how Big Heart uses supply chain design to support its many brands and employs supply chain modeling to make better decisions.

Supply chain performance has a big impact on consumers' perception of a company and its brand, says Bill Tomasi of IBS. He suggests that companies need to more actively incorporate SCM into their brand protection strategies.

JDA Software recently formed a new global 3PL business unit to focus on sales and product development for this market sector. Unit leader Peter van Merode discusses the strategy behind this move and shares views on the global 3PL market.

More than 40 stores throughout Norway are using a new radio frequency identification system provided by Norwegian systems integrator Front Systems to manage inventory data automatically, at an affordable price.

Tim Voulopos grew up around transportation, majored in logistics and then worked his way up to an executive position at Cardinal Logistics Management. Today there is more technology and fewer drivers, which presents a real challenge, but the basics of trucking really haven't changed, he says.

The speed of change, sustainability and customization are three issues currently impacting the supply chain, says Dan Whitnable, director of business development at Hilmot Corp. He explains what these trends mean for the warehousing sector and its customers.