In a perfect world, the tight coordination of systems and processes would allow goods to flow continuously from manufacturer to customer. With total understanding of consumer demand, who needs a lot of excess product taking up valuable real estate? • Second in the Best Practices series.

With economic activity heating up, businesses are again eager to compete in the global arena. To do so, they need to raise the performance of their supply chains to world-class levels.

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.

For "complexity masters," the world can be a dependable supplier and profitable market. But lackluster business performance is an unpleasant side effect for companies ill prepared for globalization and mounting value-chain complexity.