Innovation of the Year: Smart packaging creates right size box for every item shipped from e-commerce centers Winner: Staples & Packsize International; Runner-Up: PepsiCo; Finalists: LMI, Motorola Solutions, Pa. Liquor Control Board, IBM

With excessive packaging as the top complaint of customers, Staples found a technology that created the right size box for every item shipped from its e-commerce centers. In doing so, it wins the annual Supply Chain Innovation Award, sponsored by SupplyChainBrain and CSCMP.

By leaving much of the management up to its many suppliers of wines and spirits and by postponing transfer of ownership, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board saves an estimated $100m.

The company turns a Frito-Lay plant into a multi-project "learning lab," as it seeks to offset environmental impacts related to water, energy and waste generation.

A conversation with Richard Sawyer, vice president of supply chain with Dole Fresh Vegetables.

The Defense Logistics Agency tasked partner LMI with helping to develop a more efficient system for managing items with infrequent demands through an innovative system that accounts for need and risk, without sacrificing mission-readiness.

The customer expects shoe retailer DSW to be able to gather the shoes she wants, regardless of how she's shopping and regardless of where the shoe is located in the retailer's system. So it's good news that DSW reports it has made significant progress on its omnichannel initiative.