Infor has integrated its Infor10 PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) Process software with the Lawson M3 ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) application.

Intelleflex Inc. has entered into a partnership with DeltaTRAK Inc. to enhance cold-chain technology for the food, pharmaceutical and processing industries.

Oracle Corp. has joined with Infosys, a Diamond-level member of the Oracle Partner network, to create Oracle Project Driven Supply Chain for High Technology Companies.

JDA Software Group Inc. has released JDA 3D, an application that provides integrated category optimization with three-dimensional virtualization, to enhance collaboration among retailers, distributors and manufacturers.

"Sales Carbon Operations Planning" (SCOP) offers a new take on supply-chain management, bringing together traditional sales and operations planning (S&OP) techniques and the need for companies to track and reduce their carbon emissions. "It's my way of making it easy to transfer into sustainability with your existing processes," says Silvia Leahu-Aluas, owner of Sustainable Manufacturing Consulting. The new term covers everything from basic carbon dioxide management to a full understanding of the economic and environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions.

Ariba Inc. has developed an updated version of its collaborative commerce platform. The new Ariba Network will include a "consumer-like" buying interface which gives requisitioners real-time access to the data needed to making buying decisions, the vendor said.

Innovation in consumer packaged goods isn't a luxury in today's competitive market - it's a necessity. In an uncertain economic environment, most companies are struggling to achieve organic growth. "Driving both the top and bottom line has been elusive," says Girish Gulvady, director of integrated demand management and food service planning with Campbell Soup Co. "Innovation is filling that void."

Arena Solutions has joined with ERP Logic to provide a product lifecycle management (PLM) tool for users of SAP AG's Business ByDesign application.

Is the term "demand responsiveness" a true call to action on the part of manufacturers, or is it just another buzz phrase? Rakesh Sharma, president and founder of Zyom Inc., believes it can have real value. He defines the term as an approach whereby companies with physical products work closely with an "ecosystem" of partners on the sales side, communicating through multi-tiered channels. Finding out in a timely fashion what has changed in those channels is no simple task anymore, given the expanding network of partners in outsourced relationships.