Like many of their larger competitors, today's mid-market companies are beginning to focus on expanding their footprint. The economy is strengthening in a number of areas and based on recent indicators, confidence is increasing as well. One of the challenges, however, is that while the basic fundamentals of responsible business growth haven't changed, the landscape for technology and supply chain solutions has shifted remarkably since the manufacturing sector downturn in 2008-2009.

At the heart of everything omnichannel is inventory. The customer needs to be able to get the merchandise they want, when they want it, and through their channel of choice. There has to be inventory visibility across channels, so stores, warehouses and distribution centers can see real-time inventory levels as part of the order fulfillment process. And finally, in order to actually fulfill orders in a timely and efficient manner, inventory needs to be shared across channels.

Barcodes are indispensable for the exchange of vital data. It's time we recognized the important contribution that barcode printers make to the success of a company's supply chain – and to its bottom line.

While cash remains king at the point-of-sale, a variety of other digital payment methods are preferred by consumers, with 25 percent of all smartphone owners now using mobile wallets.

Many ERP customers, with their installations getting long in the tooth, are considering canceling their vendor maintenance agreements, some of which can run into the millions or tens of millions of dollars.

Moving from manual spreadsheets to a global planning execution control tower solution brings major operational improvements to complex animal pharmaceuticals supply chain.