One of the most constant staples of science fiction is its view of the automated world of the future. Whether it was the giants of the genre (H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Jules Verne), animated movies or the Tomorrowland section at the Disney properties, all envisioned a world where manual labor was largely replaced by intelligent machines rapidly performing dull, repetitive tasks.

The European Commission has explained why its members felt that EU merger regulations forced the body to block the proposed acquisition of TNT Express by UPS.

The American Chemistry Council issued new research documenting how a lack of freight rail competition is costing U.S. chemical companies billions of dollars in excess shipping costs each year. Showing shipping rates that often exceed 300 percent of the revenue-to-variable cost (RVC) ratio, the ACC study estimates that if the $3.9bn premium on chemical shipments were reduced, the chemical sector could create up to 25,000 additional American jobs, with $1.5bn in new wages, and $6.8bn in new economic output.

The National Retail Federation released its 2013 economic forecast, projecting retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) will increase 3.4 percent*, slightly less than the preliminary 4.2 percent growth seen in 2012. The subdued forecast comes on the heels of a holiday season that went head-to-head with Washington's political wrangling over fiscal concerns, shifting consumers' spending plans downward. In the end, holiday sales in 2012 grew 3.0 percent.

The notion of a "chief procurement officer" isn't new. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has had one since 1998, and the title can be found in any number of other government agencies and branches of the military. Private companies have embraced it as well, although the position hasn't enjoyed a solid footing in most C-suites for more than a decade or so. Maybe it was the success of companies like Apple, with its mastery of supply management, that convinced top executives of the need to elevate procurement to the highest levels of the organization.

It's fairly common practice today for major brands to have a social media team at the ready to respond to customer complaints on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. The practice is so widespread that a recent Call Center Satisfaction Index (CCSI) report released by CFI Group found that call centers should perhaps be renamed "contact centers."

When economic hard times hit in 2007-2008, CFOs and finance departments felt pressure to improve their organizations' working capital positions. The longer companies could hold on to cash, the more liquid they were, and the safer they felt. Paying bills quickly meant dipping into cash reserves, possibly taking away money from new-product development, mergers and acquisitions, marketing, or anything else that might drive top-line revenue. It was either that or be forced to rely for growth on expensive external financing. Everyone knew that when it came to days payable outstanding, longer was better.