Demand planning and forecasting projects are popular tactics today for boosting financial results and shareholder value-for good reason. They typically produce one-time and often significant inventory reductions but also higher inventory turns that allow organizations to sustain lower inventory levels over time. The results look great on paper, prompting executives to search for more ways to "optimize" inventory throughout the supply chain.

New product forecasting is one of the toughest demand management challenges, especially for the 15 to 20 percent of product launches that are "revolutionary." Charlie Chase, advisory industry consultant at SAS, explains how advances in technology are improving this process.

So-called "growth through innovation" strategies continue to drive supply chain complexity at a rapid pace, making it harder for businesses to forecast, according to the 2014 Terra Technology Forecasting Benchmark Study. Data shows that demand planning has reached a performance ceiling with forecast value-added declining for a second year.

Spreadsheets and manual processes weren't sufficient to allow the global logistics provider to reconcile inventories within its FTZs. It needed a single platform to provide the necessary integration and visibility.

When it comes to assessing supply-chain risk and opportunity in emerging markets, the landscape never stops changing.

Descartes Systems Group has acquired Customs Info LLC, a U.S.-based provider of trade data content to populate global trade management systems and streamline trade automation.