Demand planning has a big impact on business performance. Planning error can put revenue at risk by driving component shortages. Persistent planning biases can tie up cash by driving excess inventory. Furthermore, the act of planning and dealing with planning error is time consuming and drives costly overhead. In fact, it is common for supply chain management executives to cite "planning errors" as the greatest obstacle they face to achieving their goals and objectives.

The Obama administration has taken its latest step away from the "all-of-the-above" energy strategy the president has professed to support, according to Jay Timmons, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers.

Talk all you want about the deeper aspects of supplier-buyer relationships. But doesn't it always come down to price?

There is a sea change occurring in global supply chains and operations, driven by a series of massive environmental shifts – digitization, the "Internet of Things," geopolitical cost and risk structures and, less noticed by senior executives but every bit as important, a huge increase in the power of customers, whether consumers or businesses. This last factor is driven by social media, ubiquitous connectivity and increased communication, and is resulting in decreased brand loyalty and increased demands and expectations across a wide range of service and experience. To respond to, and be ahead of, these changes, companies need to be agile, resilient and low-cost while simultaneously driving increased customer retention and acquisition. No longer is the question "do we prioritize customer intimacy or operational effectiveness?" Now everyone needs both!

Digitally connected consumers have turned retail models upside down as omnichannel shopping has transformed supply chain from an important business concern to a mission critical one. So profound is this change that 50 percent of CEOs recognize that their supply chain can be a strategic differentiator. However, 83 percent of worldwide CEOs believe that their retail supply chains are "not optimal" for today's changing retail environment.

SupplyChainBrain and JobsInLogistics have joined forces in 2014 for the specialized purpose of: