Supply chain visibility is a requirement for any organization competing in today's global marketplace. The top strategy for organizations looking to improve visibility into their supply chains is to implement technologies that enable effective monitoring of not just tier one suppliers but tier two and tier three suppliers. New technologies enable real-time collaboration between an organization and its suppliers by providing a mechanism for sharing information about inventory and processes throughout the supply chain. – Andrea Stroud, Research Program Manager, APQC

Analyst Insight: In July 2013, Mary Driscoll of APQC had an interesting headline in the Harvard Business Review Blog — "Why are Companies Continually Getting Blind-sided by Risk?" Their risk management survey highlighted that 75 percent of respondents stated they were hit by at least one major supply chain disruption over the past two years. Another key finding: people at the front lines of business were hamstrung by lack of resources for visibility needed to adequately assess their supply chain risk. – Gregory L. Schlegel, Founder, The Supply Chain Risk Management Consortium, and Adjunct Professor, Supply Chain Risk Management, Lehigh University

Analyst Insight: Visibility continues to be cited as a critical must-have to manage supply chains. Globalization and growing awareness of the risks induced by outsourcing has exacerbated the need to understand complex events. Yet most companies can only peer into the mist. Large blind sides exist across the chain. Fortunately, solutions are evolving to eliminate these blind sides, providing more clarity and the tools to manage multiparty coordination and seize upside opportunities. – Ann Grackin, CEO, ChainLink Research

Analyst Insight: As supply chain complexity increases, together with an accelerating pace of business, supply chain visibility becomes critical. Some companies boast of immediate access to any information they need within their four walls; but this is simply no longer a competitive capability. In the quest for faster go-to-market and time-to-customer, real-time – or near real-time – continuous access and visibility is necessary not only within the four walls but across the extended supply chain. This remains an elusive goal for many companies. – Robert Eastman, Senior Analyst, Technology Evaluation Centers

Fast and innovative: that's the image conveyed by the air cargo industry. So why is it lagging so badly when it comes to automating documentation and standardizing key procedures?