The cloud is a viable model for a WMS, says Chuck Fuerst, director of product strategy at HighJump Software. Other things to consider are performance-based applications, labor management solutions, voice technology - and underestimating the cost of a WMS upgrade.

Mid-market companies are increasingly at risk for violating U.S. export regulations, even as U.S. export volumes continue to grow, according to a report released by Amber Road, a provider of global trade management solutions.

The National Retail Federation has urged the Federal Trade Commission to move cautiously in establishing regulations for mobile payments, and said any rules that are adopted should parallel those for the underlying form of payment and not be specific to the technology.

An analysis of 600 U.S. companies finds pockets of leadership on sustainability practices and performances - but overall the group has fallen short of expectations in four measured categories.

Projects to change distribution networks can be highly complex. To guarantee success, says Mike Dunn, group vice president, Fortna, participants must fully understand the need for change, get total commitment from all departments in a company, and work with a knowledgeable partner.

Bring-your-own-device, or BYOD, is a movement blurring the line between work and personal life. After all, BYOD is all about employees using personal smartphones and tablets for business purposes.

Discrete manufacturing companies operating with highly complex supply chains in today's volatile business world need collaborative planning and the ability to quickly respond to variances in those plans. They often want to model 'what-if' scenarios to better prepare them for those inevitable hiccups - or new business. Kinaxis designed its RapidResponse solution to help companies with demand and supply balancing, optimized forecasting, and improved supply chain performance. Recently it debuted an enhanced version called RapidResponse Control Tower.

In 2012, three decades of supply chain management have passed. It is time to learn from history and look forward. I feel that organizations need to train for supply chain 2020.

The unloading dock is all important to boosting efficiency and productivity throughout one's warehouse and distribution facility, says Ryan Howard, vice president of business development for Inbound Technologies. Labor-management technology uses the best of team and individual incentive methodologies to increase productivity, maintain quality standards and keep workers safe.