A "V"-shaped business cycle is one that is characterized by a large market contraction, followed by a sharp and equally large expansion. Indeed, some companies during the Great Recession saw double-digit sales declines followed by commensurate increases. "It almost feels like you're on a roller coaster," says Marianne K. Gatten, director of strategic planning and business development with Emerson. "You're taking that first hill, scared of what's going to happen next." Managing the sales and operations planning (S&OP) process in such an environment can be extremely difficult.

CargoSmart Ltd., a vendor of global shipping and logistics applications delivered under the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, has launched business-process outsourcing services for ocean carriers and logistics service providers (LSPs).

Accellos Inc. has developed version 6.4 of AccellosOne Warehouse, the vendor's warehouse-management system software.

Infor has integrated its Infor10 PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) Process software with the Lawson M3 ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) application.

Swissport International Ltd., a provider of air-cargo handling services, is now offering its track-and-trace capability for cargo customers and their partners via mobile phones.

Oracle Corp. has joined with Infosys, a Diamond-level member of the Oracle Partner network, to create Oracle Project Driven Supply Chain for High Technology Companies.

JDA Software Group Inc. has released JDA 3D, an application that provides integrated category optimization with three-dimensional virtualization, to enhance collaboration among retailers, distributors and manufacturers.

"Sales Carbon Operations Planning" (SCOP) offers a new take on supply-chain management, bringing together traditional sales and operations planning (S&OP) techniques and the need for companies to track and reduce their carbon emissions. "It's my way of making it easy to transfer into sustainability with your existing processes," says Silvia Leahu-Aluas, owner of Sustainable Manufacturing Consulting. The new term covers everything from basic carbon dioxide management to a full understanding of the economic and environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions.

There are good reasons why a formal process for conflict resolution is necessary in the context of supply chains, says Stewart L. Levine, founder of ResolutionWorks. The very nature of supply chains, with their panoply of internal and external partners, gives rise to conflict. What's needed, he says, "is a conversational process whereby you can teach people how to move through conflict."

Three cargo charter brokers have joined to form the Global Charter Alliance, reportedly the world's first consortium of independent brokers. Founding members are Pacific Airlift of Singapore, The Charter Store of the U.S., and NEO Air Charter of Germany.