Over the past decade, businesses have accumulated a sea of data on their operations, customers and business practices. Businesses have attempted to consume this data to drive effective business solutions with limited success. We are at the precipice where solutions seamlessly consume traditional data and merge it with unstructured data to cohesively drive business planning and execution. -M. Scott Moon, Principal, Tompkins International

Shocking hygiene failings have been discovered in some of the U.S.’s biggest meat plants, as a new analysis reveals that as many as 15 percent (one in seven) of the U.S. population suffers from foodborne illnesses annually.

The Warehousing Education and Research Council's annual benchmarking study, DC Measures, shows a majority of respondents believe they are performing better than their competitors. This perception gap is common for warehouse managers, especially when using metrics to improve performance. To bridge the difference between perception and reality, we have to understand the basics and go back to school on metrics. Joe Tillman, Founder TSquared Logistics

Picking the right metrics for your supplier relationship should not be about simply buying into the latest benchmarking data. Rather, it should be about aligning the right metrics for the purpose. For quality metrics, pick what is the "best fit," not the "best practice." This is especially important for strategic, long-term supply chain relationships. -Kate Vitasek, faculty member, University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business Administration; author of six books on the Vested business model; and Karl Manrodt, Professor of Logistics at Georgia College. He is the co-author of seven books and numerous academic articles.

Quality product data can be a real competitive advantage for companies that get it right. However, despite more anticipated disruption across industries in the year ahead, many supply chain professionals who realize the long-term benefits of data accuracy still struggle to gain support for comprehensive and effective data quality programs. -Angela Fernandez, Vice President, Retail Grocery and Foodservice, GS1 US