Fifty-six percent of U.S. business owners say having early payment options from their customers is a critically important business partnership consideration.

The U.S. plastics industry is expected to grow rapidly over the next decade, fueled by cheap and abundant shale natural gas that's made it more competitive with overseas markets, according to a report by economists at the American Chemistry Council (ACC).

High-tech companies expect robust growth in their industry, and they're preparing for it by weighing a broader range of factors when building their manufacturing supply chain networks, according to the fifth annual UPS Change in the (Supply) Chain (CITC) survey.

Accenture has agreed to take over Javelin Group, a UK-based retail strategy consulting and digital transformation services provider. The acquisition will expand the capabilities of Accenture Strategy to help the world's leading retailers and consumer brands accelerate their digital transformation.

ManpowerGroup's annual Talent Shortage Survey, reveals that 32 percent of U.S. employers report difficulties filling job vacancies due to talent shortages. This marks a decrease of 8 percent, falling from 40 percent in 2014. Globally, the percentage of employers experiencing difficulties continued to rise, increasing from 36 percent in 2014 to 38 percent in 2015.

Many mid-sized U.S. cities and other areas now make attractive alternatives to India and other offshore locations for companies considering consolidating finance, IT and other business services operations for shared service or global business services centers, according to new research from The Hackett Group.

Those of you grew up with Sesame Street may recall that each episode was brought to you by a different letter of the alphabet. I experienced my own version of this phenomenon three years ago, when much of my job suddenly became all about the letter "S" - or more accurately five of them.

If any company has a proven formula for success, it's Walmart. The Bentonville, Ark.-based behemoth is the world's largest retailer, with nearly half a trillion dollars in annual sales and 2.2 million employees conducting business in 27 countries. Through its more than 11,000 stores and Sam's Club warehouses, Walmart rakes in more revenue than Costco, Kroger, Amazon, Home Depot, and Target - combined.