As companies digitize and integrate their enterprise and implement advanced analytics, they are learning that collaboration is the key to market leadership. Collaborative channel relationships are transforming the buyer-seller relationship from transactional to strategic. Working together to integrate and share process information, partners experience performance improvement by focusing on the least landed cost at every point in the channel versus leveraging price. Regulatory compliance for track, trace and authentication can only be realized through digitization. -Rich Sherman, Senior Fellow, Supply Chain Centre of Excellence, Tata Consultancy Services

Research into the "industrial" application of the Internet of Things finds unequivocally that IIoT is transforming supply chains. Most of the implementations have been by early adopters trying to get an advantage over their competitors. Projects have a number of different objectives, but typically fall into: more efficient operations; improved customer experience; or new revenue opportunities. -Dan Roberts, Senior Consultant, Cambashi Limited

Companies are drowning in data, but are low on insights. Exciting advances in analytics are opening up new opportunities for supply chain teams. The challenge is that it means charting a new path and defining new processes to take advantages of new capabilities. The path forward means charting a new direction. It is not an evolution. –Lora Cecere, Founder, Supply Chain Insights

The digital revolution is well underway and big data is no longer just a buzzword found in journals. Instead, data and the direct application of that information is being used to advance manufacturing around the world. This change is revolutionizing the way we look at Six Sigma approaches and application. -Melissa Hadhazy, Associate Partner, Infosys Consulting

Reality, as we know, can be virtual. It can also be augmented.

With the emergence of new digital technologies such as Mobility, Big Data, Internet of Things, Cloud, Business Intelligence/AI, Machine Learning, etc., new and more abundant sources of data are available to improve supply chain planning and execution. Advancing in analytic maturity is the most significant competitive lever in the history of business. Why? Time. Advancing in analytics maturity takes time that many companies aren’t able to make up in a market race. -Rich Sherman, Senior Fellow, Supply Chain Centre of Excellence, Tata Consultancy Services

Conversations with supply-chain executives about how companies can swim in the sea of big data without drowning in it.

Blockchain, the technology underlying bitcoin, has some challenges to overcome. But the potential applications are so compelling, supply chain managers should quickly learn more about it and begin to conceptualize how it can be applied to their businesses.