It seems that these days you can 3D print anything, from food to parts for rocket engines.

Avid online shoppers have raised the bar on what it takes for a retailer to stay competitive. Consumers want advanced mobile features, flexible shipping options and hassle-free returns, according to the fourth annual UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper study.

IoT generates a tremendous amount of data - much more than people generate manually with their keyboards and cameras. And the volume of IoT data being generated will continue to increase at an exponential pace. How can companies extract the maximum value from that data? How should they think about it?

Technologies like 3-D printing, robotics, advanced motion controls and new methods for continuous manufacturing hold great potential for improving how companies design and build products to better serve customers. But if the past is any indicator, many established firms will be slow to adjust because of a formidable obstacle: legacy assets and capabilities that they are reluctant to abandon.

Insight Inc., a vendor of software for supply-chain design, has added a data-analysis and visualization module to its SAILS software.

Online retailers have raised the bar for convenience and fast delivery - and brick-and-mortar retailers are scrambling to keep up. To speed order fulfillment, they are shipping from stores that are closest to customers. To build on their strengths, they are focusing on the in-store customer experience. And to bring more online shoppers into stores, they are providing Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store (BOPUS) options. At the same time, they are rapidly investing in additional inventory and store labor to stay competitive.

Accenture has launched the Accenture Analytics Applications Platform.