It's tough for a U.S. materials manufacturer to keep pace with foreign competition - especially when it's burdened with "tools from the stone age."

Scanner guns - the barcode readers used in warehouses worldwide - are getting a makeover, as retailers scramble to boost productivity amid a surge in online orders.

Dematic, a supplier of software and services for supply-chain optimization, has completed its acquisition of Reddwerks Corp.

Good data is critical to a company's decisions on where to site manufacturing, distribution and services facilities. But too much data can paralyze planners. HP has found a way to cut through the noise and react more quickly to changes in the market.

A conversation with Chuck Miller, vice president of retail with Logility.