An important first step in building a strategic supply management organization is developing solid business-unit relationships. But how many are taking the next steps and asking internal stakeholders pointed, detailed questions about how well the supply management team is meeting their needs?

Oracle Corp. has developed a new application under the JD Edwards brand: JD Edwards EnterpriseOne One View Reporting.

Infor, a vendor of multiple business applications, has formed a strategic partnership with Business + Decision, an international consulting and systems-integration firm.

U.S. Xpress Enterprises has joined with Maritime-Ontario Freight Lines Ltd. to launch a North American cross-border shipping service.

On July 25th Lenovo, a Chinese computer firm, announced a deal to sponsor the National Football League. The PC maker has come a long way since 1984, when it was founded by 11 engineers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences who wanted to supplement their meager stipends.

There are many, many things that can go wrong in today's extended supply chains, a reality that can make managing supply chain risk seem overwhelming, says Richard Sharpe, CEO of Competitive Insights.

HighJump Software has created a hosted version of its electronic data interchange (EDI) tool for users of the Sage 100 enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

The Supply Chain Group of third-party logistics provider LeanCor is expanding operations to the Chinese market. The unit will launch logistics services, training and education efforts to support the logistics, infrastructure and academic needs of Chinese and American companies.

How can we tell how small businesses are feeling? Find out how many vans they're buying. Van sales were up 32 percent in July over last year, a greater increase than nearly every other vehicle type, except for sports cars, according to data from Bloomberg Industries.

An effective procurement process begins with having all spend under control, including money spent on logistics and transportation, says Nick Seiersen, president and CEO of Seiersen Enterprise. Overall, such a process should ensure that the right suppliers provide the right products or services on the right terms, he says.