Shrink, comprised of shoplifting, employee or supplier fraud and administrative errors, cost the global retail industry more than $128bn last year, $42bn in the US alone, according to the latest Global Retail Theft Barometer. This represents 1.29 percent of retail sales, on average.

Chronic disruption, a pervasive phenomenon referring to a persistent disruption that degrades but does not inhibit supply chain function and that does not respond to traditional remedies, affects manufacturing most, according to an APICs Supply Chain Council survey.

SmartDrive Systems, a vendor of technology to improve driving performance and boost fuel efficiency, is partnering with Convoy Technologies, LLC, a provider of camera systems for the transportation industry.

The road to creating user-friendly, science-backed, technology-enabled supply chains is paved with good sustainability intentions that get foiled by today's dynamic, global complexities. Achieving sustainability of scale requires involvement of the entire supply chain. To meet the needs of customers and markets, manufacturers need up-to-date and accurate information about their suppliers' materials and components.

Nearly a quarter of respondents to a survey claimed their organisation had suffered losses of at least €1m ($1.25m) during the previous 12 months (up from 15 percent last year) as a result of supply chain disruptions, according to a report from the Business Continuity Institute. Slightly more than 13 percent suffered a one-time disruption that cost in excess of €1m (up from 9 percent last year). The study also showed that 40 percent of respondents claimed their organisation was not insured against any of these losses while 20 percent were only insured against half of these losses.