Paul Tasner, vice president of supply chain and sustainability with the Reclipse Group Inc., challenges some of the assumptions that have grown up around the concept of "green" business operations.

The term "supply chain" doesn't say it all, according to Reclipse Group president Susan Rosin and CEO Nigel Johnson. They offer a new term which encompasses all of the business processes that are ripe for collaboration, both inside and outside the organization.

Lean strategies can be of great value in aligning supply with demand in uncertain times, but only if they are implemented in the correct way, says Chris Cookson, vice president of supply chain and operations with Verical.

To keep up with changing market conditions, Cisco is having to get closer to its customers than ever before, even as it works to eliminate "silos" within its own organization, says Karl Braitberg, vice president of customer value chain management.

An effective program requires more than such "cosmetic" trappings such as uniformed guards and closed-circuit TVs, says Barry Brandman, president of Danbee Investigations. He offers a number of tips on how companies can detect collusion and crime occurring within their facilities.