Observers say that across the board, the industry has realized that it needs to put money into IT systems to help keep costs down and driver productivity up.

Ways of slashing waste in manufacturing can be applied to supply chain processes, although progress is slow. Second of a two-part series on continuous improvement.

An Aberdeen survey finds that while the multiple-channel approach leads to success more often than not, the internet and call centers support the primary delivery vehicle-the store.

Inconsistencies in product information are significant contributors to supply chain inefficiency. Data synchronization, both internally and with trading partners, can help companies achieve and maintain one version of the truth.