In today's rapidly changing market, companies are increasingly competing on the efficiency, effectiveness and agility of their supply chains. Much has been written about the agility of Apple's supply chain - a recent article in The New York Times highlighted this when they described how Apple switched from plastic to glass screen six weeks before the launch - and in that time-frame they had to find a new supplier, perfect the fabrication of samples, and get to production-level volume. In a recent Gartner survey Apple was at the top of the list in key metrics, including inventory turns (Samsung's inventory turn was 17.1, while Apple's was 74.1).

When many doubted needed HIV/AIDS commodities could be delivered timely and qualitatively to hard-to-reach areas of Africa, an innovative approach to healthcare logistics proved them wrong.

Over the last two decades, businesses have worked feverishly to optimize their physical supply chains. Virtually every discussion about improving the supply chain has been centered on the physical movement of goods - the flow of products from raw materials to consumption. However, a growing number of companies are now taking a similar interest in optimizing the flow and management of the information related to these products.

When many doubted needed HIV/AIDS commodities could be delivered timely and qualitatively to hard-to-reach areas of Africa, an innovative approach to healthcare logistics proved them wrong.

On its way back to the U.S. from China, might manufacturing take a detour into Mexico? Does our neighbor south of the border stand ready to quash the Great American Industrial Revival?

What does it take to convince a manufacturer to locate a plant in the U.S.? How about in California, one of the most highly regulated and difficult states in which to operate? (It ranked 40th in CNBC's latest survey "America's Top States for Business." What about the San Francisco Bay Area, with its prohibitive cost of living, high population density and even more onerous regulatory environment?