Analyst Insight: Internet of Things (IoT) and smart product resellers connect industry networks to the customer. They offer service in addition to supply, and are familiar with product demonstrations, try-before-you-buy deals, how to handle product version changeovers, and many more practicalities of doing business. By 2020, these resellers will need new tools to simplify the buying process because they will be selling to the majority, not just to early adopters. - Peter Thorne, director, Cambashi Ltd.

Analyst Insight: End-to-end supply-chain visibility is one of the top five pain points facing executives in modern global supply chains. It allows supply-chain trading partners to visualize, share, collaborate and manage every aspect of supply chain processes, from raw materials to end customers. While businesses put resources towards improving supply-chain visibility, they find it is difficult to attain without connection to a value network that fosters sharing among stakeholders and good, quality information. Simply put, for a business to sustain growth in the current volatile business environment, executives need end-to-end supply-chain visibility to gain insights into activities they don’t control. - Cindi Hane, vice president of product management, Elemica

Analyst Insight: Visibility in the supply chain has long been a challenge that supply-chain managers have struggled with, especially when it relates to assets in motion. Fortunately, we now live in a world of constant connectivity, and with that the emergence of applications that enable true real-time visibility to assets or inventory in motion through the support of the Internet of Things (IoT). - John Santagate, research manager, IDC

Analyst Insight: The 9th Annual BCI/Zurich Supply Chain Resilience Report categorically said last year that ineffective management of supply chains is leaving organizations open to severe disruptions and large financial negative impacts. The report also states that almost 75 percent of companies have experienced one disruptive event and that many more experienced multiple risk events in 2016. Why? The report concludes that organizations are still not ensuring adequate supply-chain visibility upstream and downstream. - Gregory Schlegel, executive-in-residence, Center for Supply Chain Research, Lehigh University

Analyst Insight: Full supply-chain visibility has been a top three goal of supply-chain managers for more than a decade. The ability to see your inventory, customers' orders, and financial transactions, as they move through every node in the supply chain is paramount. This enables opportunities to optimize inventory position, route shipments more efficiently, truly collaborate - not just cooperate - and communicate with customers to provide world-class service. - David Meyers, principal, Tompkins International

Analyst Insight: As 2020 approaches, supply-chain improvement initiatives focused on meeting intense market demand while protecting profitability are crucial for companies. In response to this need, supply-chain analysts and consultants are finding innovative ways to leverage data and optimization tools to customize new strategies that encourage supply-chain flexibility, efficiency and sustainability. - John Richardson, vice president of supply chain analytics, Transportation Insight