All it takes is one small slip-up to undermine a company's supply chain. Here are 10 tips on how to optimize transportation programs, and avoid the catastrophic • Fourth in the Best Practices series.

Companies manufacturing in China must choose whether to ship through Hong Kong or the mainland. Business and government leaders in Hong Kong are promoting the territory as the better choice in supply-chain management.

Thousands of hours and millions of dollars are spent each year by retailers and CPG companies to resolve conflicts and discrepancies caused by mis-matched and out-of-date item data. Now, all that is about to change.

A real-time view into inbound shipments helps retailers avoid stock-outs and other nightmares at a critical juncture - the point of sale.

Relying in part on point-of-sale data, this software improves merchandise assortment, boosts total sales and helps increase average selling prices.

Point of sale is "where the facts are" that help retailers readjust orders to accommodate sales peaks and valleys that may be predictable but aren't always intuitive.

Privacy concerns have prompted many companies to develop private exchanges to deal with suppliers, but both models should survive in some form.

With a re-energized effort under way to formalize Collaborative Transportation Management, lots of people are looking at ways to make carriers part of the collaborative process.