Analyst Insight: More companies are using some type of "big data" software and analysis to drive their entire supply chains. Almost all supply chain organizations recognize this to be a competitive necessity. Big data is being used along all supply chain levers, from buy, make, move and sell. Successful applications require coordinated decisions across organizations and along the entire supply chain. - Nada R. Sanders, Professor of Supply Chain Management & Iacocca Chair, Lehigh University

Analyst Insight: Food and beverage companies lag consumer packaged goods companies in corporate performance. With rising raw materials costs and volatility, coupled with increased compliance for food safety, they are facing greater change and increased risk. As they move into 2014, their supply chains are not as mature and their challenges are greater. - Lora Cecere, CEO and Founder, Supply Chain Insights

Analyst Insight: Facility location planning is a six-dimensional balancing act encompassing long-term facility commitments with need for agility, predictable demand patterns with seasonal and spiky demand surprises, material handling investments with facility flexibility, return on investment with immediate operations effectiveness, cutting-edge technology with common sense, and operational efficiency and cost reduction with technology investment. Consequently, the best FLP results are those that design in the most needed capabilities, leaving space to accommodate the flexibility that drives location success. - Robert Sabath, Principal Essentialist SCM, TRISSENTIAL

Analyst Insight: The supply chain has traditionally been managed from a holistic, top-down perspective. As such, events have historically been treated as occurring outside of the supply chain cycle. - Jorge Garcia, Senior Analyst, Technology Evaluation Centers