Analyst Insight: The generally low-margin and high-waste food & beverage sectors will continue to increase their technology investments in 2012. Traceability, quality and fulfillment technologies are emerging with strong ROI, though compliance and traceability get much of the attention. No doubt global regulations on food safety may be somewhat of a catalyst, but companies say that the benefits are what really drive their investments. - Ann Grackin, CEO, ChainLink Research

Analyst Insight: While 95 percent of consumer products companies talk about building the end-to-end supply chain extending from the customer's customer to the supplier's supplier, most of it today is only lip service. Why? The processes that made the CP company strong are the very same processes that need to change to drive growth, improve supply chain resiliency and power market share. - Lora Cecere, partner, Altimeter Group