Import volume at the nation's major retail container ports is expected to increase 6.1 percent in April, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

The most recent earnings for Dollar General and Dollar Tree were healthier than rival Family Dollar's, but each one missed Wall Street's estimates as the economy has begun to improve.

Some authors have suggested that strategic sourcing is often done in a win-lose style, without true collaboration between buyer and seller. Nothing could be further from the truth, as a win-lose relationship is the antithesis to strategic sourcing done the right way. Strategic sourcing, done right, can become a real competitive advantage.

Challenge: Our customer, a global provider of high performance power semiconductors used in electronic devices, had grown quickly with eleven acquisitions over seven years, and they needed an effective global trade strategy. The company needed to prioritize export compliance, simplify international trade, and standardize worldwide business processes across its offices in 17 countries.