Too many companies are still plagued by a "siloed" mentality which keeps various functions from collaborating fully on demand planning. But Arnold Mark Wells, principal of End-to-End Analytics, sees reason for hope.

Inttra, provider of a shipper and carrier network for ocean transportation, has joined with SeaIntel Maritime Analysis, which offers insight into the container market, to improve ocean carrier schedule reliability.

Sprint is teaming up with Agnik, a data analytics company, to offer tools for analyzing vehicle and driver performance.

Rizwan Asim, head of procurement and supply chain with SSC Al-Suwaidi Holding Co., discusses how integrated demand planning is helping Middle Eastern retailers to cope with a market boom.

Callaway Golf Co. relies on integrated demand planning to service a market that ranges from large and small retailers to buyers who have clubs customized to meet their unique requirements. Derek Hillier, director of strategic sales initiatives for the Americas region, explains how it's all done.

IFS, a vendor of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems based on service-oriented architecture (SOA) technology, has developed IFS Applications 8, the latest version of its offering for manufacturing industries.

Knowing how to effectively manage fuel costs is an important skill for 3PL providers, particularly in the current environment of volatile and spiking oil prices, says Skip Wendel, global vice president for consumer and retail at UTi Worldwide.