This will be the year that retailers take mobile seriously in all its forms and in all areas of the company. Of course, e-tailers have been highly aware of the need to employ mobile as another channel for the customer, but brick-and-mortar retailers are opening their eyes to the possibilities as well.

The sharp slowdown in U.S. manufacturing that began last spring appears to be over, setting the stage for moderate expansion in the factory sector in coming months - with a little boost from companies bringing overseas production back to America.

Plans that detail a business's initial emergency response provide a road map for keeping operations running through a crisis and ready a business for the return to full operational effectiveness in the weeks that follow a disruption. These forward-thinking solutions are critical components to effective business continuity programs, according to a new PwC US paper entitled, "Beyond the first 48 hours: Can your business continuity plan go the distance?"

A diverse coalition of more than 120 local, state and national stakeholders, ranging from farmers and manufacturers to retailers and wholesalers sent a letter to the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance Ltd. (USMX) urging both sides to remain at the negotiating table until they "reach a new long-term contract."

In 2012, more and more analysts and pundits pronounced the return of manufacturing onshore to the U.S. or near-shore to Mexico (or the Caribbean). Is this real and lasting, what is causing it, and what does it mean for supply chain managers?

Noha Tohamy, research vice president with Gartner, identifies the proactive strategies that leading companies are using to manage supply-chain risk today.