Companies are increasingly embedding sustainability resources into their supply chain organizations. The latest State of the Profession report from GreenBiz, which examines how the role of sustainability executives has evolved over the years, shows a growth in supply chain sustainability efforts.

Technology is an invaluable asset for sourcing teams, but it's not the end-all and be-all. In fact, for many organizations, evaluating vendors and deploying procurement technology can quickly become a major headache due to a lack of differentiation, long implementation time-lines and steep learning curves. Even when implementation goes smoothly, many procurement departments find themselves in a precarious position following deployment - they have a new, powerful technology at their disposal, but not enough people or internal resources to fully take advantage of its benefits and functionality.

As data and connectivity transform the industry, manufacturers' intellectual property, data and products have become prime targets for cybercriminals. More than nine in 10 manufacturers (92 percent) cite cybersecurity concerns in their SEC disclosures this year, according to a report from BDO USA, an accounting and consulting organization. That represents a 44-percent jump from 2013 - and the first time in BDO's analysis that cyber risk ranks among manufacturers’ top 10 risk factors.

Regulations and protectionist trade policies are killing small business, according to Alibaba Group Executive Chairman Jack Ma, who has called for a removal of trade policies that hinder global commerce.

"Greening" your company, via any number of means, obviously brings multiple benefits to the physical environment. But while going green may be the responsible thing to do, many companies shy away from these sustainability measures. The reason is their (common) misconception that the costs will outweigh any benefit, that there is no bottom-line value in environmentally responsible business practices. In fact, this belief may be false, because setting a green path can often improve your bottom line.

Britain's departure from the European Union could send shock waves across the global economy and threaten more than a trillion dollars in investment and trade with the United States.

Walmart will soon stop accepting Visa cards at stores in Canada, the latest in its efforts to reduce fees paid to process transactions.