Analyst Insight: A December 2009 study reveals that as few as 22 percent of companies are ready for the January 26, 2010 mandate date for full Importer Security Filing (ISF) "10+2" compliance. The economic recovery may foretell huge fines for these companies.

Analyst Insight: The life sciences industry is realizing significant supply chain and operational benefits by driving even modest increases in demand forecast accuracy. Companies included in a recent AMR Research study pointed to improved demand management processes as the number one reason for this increased supply chain visibility. And the benefits don't stop there!

Analyst Insight: New product launch success remains elusive cross-industry, with fewer than 60 percent on average considered successful in high-tech alone. Yet PLM applications have been deploying for over 10 years. Manufacturers claim time-to-market and cost benefits, so why such poor success? The answer is a combination of narrow PLM deployments and PLM providers not grasping the attention of all stakeholders.

Analyst Insight: The regulatory environment for food and beverage manufacturers is changing. President Obama has reinvigorated the FDA's Food Safety Working Group and change is on the way. It is more important than ever for food and beverage manufacturers to get ahead of the curve and ensure food safety and traceability across their entire supply chains, from the field to the fork.

Analyst Insight: Today, sustainability is on the agenda of the highest-ranking corporate executives, as well as line-of-business managers. It is time for companies to take a more serious look at the role sustainability can play in making their supply chains more viable, competitive and best aligned with the Triple Bottom Line of profits, people and planet.

Analyst Insight: The industrial economy has been replaced by the information economy. For high-tech supply chains battling the recession and focusing on demand-driven strategies, it's the customer that has undergone the most dramatic transformation. Selling, fulfilling and servicing these customers will require new supply chain designs.

Analyst Insight: With numerous events and shipments to monitor, where should a company begin and in what areas are today's leaders focused? A recent study of over 209 companies shows that top performers are focusing on inbound supply chain events and are reaping big benefits.

Analyst Insight: Although companies were able to reduce absolute inventory levels by 10 percent from Q3/2008 to Q3/2009, a closer look reveals that Days Inventory On-hand deteriorated by 7.5 percent, resulting in excess working capital requirements of $50bn for the largest 1,000 U.S.-headquartered public companies. If not regained, this lost efficiency will become a more significant cash drain than expected in 2010.