The return of manufacturing to the U.S. and Europe from Asia is happening - but not at the pace that proponents of reshoring might hope. And there are some unexpected complications that need to be addressed.

So the major driver behind all those lost American jobs is free trade? Not so fast.

Analyst Insight: Procurement departments have spent the last 20 years perfecting procurement by automating procurement systems and standardizing highly competitive Request for Proposal processes. This works well when buying commodities and transactions, but falls short for organizations looking for collaborative supplier relationships where flexibility and innovation are essential. Today's progressive procurement organizations are re-evaluating their approaches and are making a conscious shift along the sourcing continuum. - Kate Vitasek, faculty member, University of Tennessee's Haslam College of Business Administration

Analyst Insight: Industry disruptions - whether caused by economic strife, weather events, or labor disputes - seem to be becoming more common, and they are prompting many executives to rethink the design of their global supply chains. For years many companies have invested in solid-state supply chains built for cost efficiency. The problem is that these are premised on very defined paths-to-market that lack resiliency and make them susceptible to disruption. - Glen Goldbach and Ryan Hawk, principals, PwC