In September, Macy's announced plans to roll out the largest beacon initiative in the retail industry with its partner, shopkick, a shopping app that awards users points for entering participating stores. The company is joining a host of retailers that have already made strides toward beacon technology, including Lord & Taylor and Hudson Bay.

Robot orders and shipments in North America set new records in the first nine months of 2014, according to Robotic Industries Association, the industry's trade group.

B2B marketers are attacking mobile with budgets that are jumping 11 percent over the next six months and an additional 17.5 percent over the next 12 months. But it’s clear they’re not terribly happy with the tools vendors are providing. "Compelling solutions are still lacking," one marketer said.

More than two-thirds (68 percent) of B2B buyers now purchase goods online, up from 57 percent last year, according to a recent report from the Acquity Group.

Supply chains are becoming more complex in order to support the increasingly diverse levels sizes and needs of new suppliers and customers. There are so many variables that can go into a single sale, like selling across multiple channels, delivering products directly versus delivering through drop shipments, and selling items with one-time charges as well as recurring fees. This transformation is having a tremendous impact on organizations of all shapes and sizes. As supply chain complexity builds, it's important that companies aren't spending more time entering and managing data rather than focusing on growing their business. They should have a well-integrated, audited and secure system that can be precisely reported on at every level.