How can a $1.3tr industry, getting bigger every year, be hidden in plain sight? Easy. The vast U.S. logistics business, which delivers 48 million tons of freight (worth about $48bn) daily and already employs roughly 6 million people, operates mostly behind the scenes.

Think it's tough tracking finished goods from source to sale? Trying doing the same for the millions of parts that go into them.

The challenge of managing corporate reputation in an era of complex global supply chains is rarely out of the spotlight. From poor working conditions to environmentally unfriendly practices, there are a growing number of areas where brands are at risk from the rise of multi-tier supply chains. A succession of scandals has brought the supply chain to the public’s attention - from horse meat being discovered in the ready meals of UK retailers to factory fires in Bangladesh and exploitation of tin for mobile phones in Indonesia. The culmination of these stories means what was once an internal company process is now very visible to the public and runs the risk of inflicting serious damage on a brand's reputation.

APICS and Supply Chain Council announced today that the boards of directors of both organizations have approved an agreement under which Supply Chain Council (SCC) will merge with APICS upon ratification by SCC member vote.