Analyst Insight: Customers want orders faster and without additional shipping cost. And that's impacting how companies deploy inventory across their networks. In addition to defining the parts (SKU) mix and inventory levels needed to support service goals, you must consider how many distribution nodes you'll need and where to locate them. You must balance cost and service across several variables. And the decisions have ripple effects throughout your operations. - John Giangrande, Automotive Industry Leader, Fortna Inc.

Analyst Insight: Retailers are starting to use brick-and-mortar stores as distribution nodes, to connect demand with inventory in the most flexible and cost-effective way. Ship-from-store enables them to leverage their entire inventory for higher sales, better margins and improved service. It allows them to offer omnichannel customers access to a broader array of products, and helps to offset the impact of an imperfect forecast. - Adam Mullen, Apparel Industry Leader, Fortna Inc.

Dal-Tile's Collaborative Transportation Program, which won the 2012 Supply Chain Innovation Award, has continued to grow and mature. Sonney Jones, supply chain director at Dal-Tile, provides an update.

Change still is a constant and it comes at today's supply chain professionals faster, with more intensity and greater risks than ever before. Art Van Bodegraven describes what this means for current and future supply chain leaders.