A virtual reality supply chain allows organizations to design and architect in 3-D, evaluate designs and make critical decisions about new products and customer buying decisions.

Supply chain execution convergence (SCEC) describes the next generation of supply chains, which create a totally integrated supply chain by bringing together individual silos within the organization.

What would it take for manufacturing businesses to operate like the best online retailers? How can such companies turn orders around in a day, deliver them with greater customization, and replenish stocks seamlessly? These aren't idle questions for the top teams of manufacturers, because customers, across both B2C and B2B markets, are more fickle now; service demands are steadily notching upward; and economic volatility shows no sign of abating. Supply operations often struggle to keep pace, as many aren't sufficiently agile to capture fleeting upside opportunities or to mitigate fast-moving risks.

How should companies approach the challenge of end-to-end transformation? What exactly does the process encompass? And what are the benefits of a successful initiative? Michael Albritton, director of AlixPartners, supplies the answers.

Omnichannel represents the biggest growth opportunity for the consumer goods and retail industry, according to a report from EY and the Consumer Goods Forum.

In recent decades, companies in sectors from automotive and high-tech to retail and consumer packaged goods have come to realize that their supply chain is much more than the cost of getting products into customers' hands. These companies understand that it is the supply chain that translates corporate strategy into day-to-day interactions both within and beyond the organization. Ultimately, it is the supply chain that satisfies or disappoints their customers.