Joe Gallick, vice president of sales with Penske Logistics, reveals some of the dramatic benefits his company has realized, on its own behalf as well as that of customers, by signing up with the ambitious program to slash energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

Business is going green because of pressure from government and consumers. But the push for sustainability can also aid in controlling costs at a time of economic crisis, says Joe Martha, vice president of Booz-Allen Hamilton.

Outsourcing. Longer supply lines. New and stricter government regulations. All of these factors are forcing companies to get a better handle on their global trade management programs, says Alex Thompson, vice president of product strategy with TradeBeam.

All supply chains -- whether moving physical goods, delivering services or channeling money - are subject to increasingly extreme swings in volatility, says Richard Douglass, global industry executive for manufacturing at Sterling Commerce. Douglass contributed to a new book from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals on how companies can deal with this constant volatility: X-treme Supply Chains: Managing in Times of Upheaval.