An integrated setting for managing demand, supply and inventory involves working with people as much as with technology and information, says Todd Gallant of VF Corp. He explains how the Timberland division of VF is improving collaboration and communication among its associates up and down the supply chain.

Campbell Soup is expert at understanding buying patterns and demand signals for its traditional category, but as it expands into new categories with different types of products the company is having to adapt its forecasting methods. Allyson Hatfield, senior demand planner, discusses these challenges.

From defense to medical, nLIGHT makes very bright lasers that have applications across a swath of industries. Corporate master planner Arvind Arumbakkam discusses the value of S&OP in this high-tech, build-to-order environment.

When Fujitsu noticed diminishing returns in its ongoing efforts to improve forecast accuracy, it adopted a new strategy of product segmentation, changing inventory policies for difficult to forecast items. Barry Chapman of Fujitsu explains how this strategy was implemented and the benefits that the company is reaping.

Providing medical implants for upper-body surgeries is a critical, time-sensitive business. Raymond Allen of Biomet Microfixations explains how his company forecasts and manages demand so as to never disappoint the patient.

Supporting the many different channels through which today's consumers shop for, purchase and return products presents tremendous challenges and opportunities for retailers, says Annibal Sodero, assistant professor at the Sam Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas.

Use of RFID tags at the item level is upstaging case and pallet tagging among many retailers, says Tom O'Boyle, director of RFID at Barcoding Inc. O'Boyle explains the benefits derived from item-level tagging and looks at other innovative applications for RFID, including hybrid systems that mix active and passive tags.

Vanderlande Industries has launched an automated storage and retrieval system, dubbed Quickstore Microshuttle.

Big data can be a powerful enabler of better business decisions, but getting the right data to the right person in an actionable form presents huge challenges. Richard Sharpe, CEO of Competitive Insights, helps demystify the subject and explains why mastering big data is worth the effort.