Innovation of the Year: Disruptive technology products must get to market faster than ever, and a product innovation center at Flextronics reconfigures the supply chain to do just that. Runner-up: Sears Holdings Corp. Finalists: Intel, Fast Logistics, Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council

Getting your finished goods to customers damage-free is key, but it never hurts the bottom line to do that cost effectively and in an environmentally friendly manner. Intel accomplished all of that by changing how it packaged its products.

The Philippines-based logistics service provider took a concept born in manufacturing, and applied it to the services sector. The result: a significant bump in service quality and customer satisfaction.

Wearable technology is not only creating new business opportunities, it's disrupting the way supply chains work. To design, make and get customers' products to market quicker, Flextronics designed an innovation hub that met all of their supply chain requirements.

You would think that proper risk management would be top of mind for high-tech supply chain executives. So why do they keep getting it wrong?

China's air and water pollution is more visible than its soil pollution and more often makes headlines. But recent government studies underscore the worrying extent of heavy-metal pollution tainting China's agricultural lands - and its food supply.