Mid-sized manufacturers show continued optimism about revenues and employment, according to the 14th edition of the Purchasing and Manufacturing Survey from Prime Advantage, a buying consortium.

A majority of UK business owners find it too time-consuming or expensive to borrow cash from their bank, according to the Working Capital Outlook Survey from C2FO, a working capital exchange.

Walmart has committed to investing $250bn in products that will support and create American jobs by 2023. Based on data from Boston Consulting Group, it is estimated that one million new U.S. jobs will be created through this initiative. Responding to feedback from its vendors that finding U.S. sources of supply was a challenge, Walmart plans to use ThomasNet's platform for product sourcing and supplier discovery.

An efficient supply chain is one of the most crucial predictors of a company's success. The supply chain affects almost every marker for industry leadership, including costs, delivery performance and overall customer satisfaction. It's understandable then that the majority of supply chain executives consider visibility to be the most important aspect of any supply chain solution.