It's not news that salespeople don't like to show their work. Customer relationship management systems were designed to not only collect and mine customer data but also let CFOs and other executives keep a closer eye on their enigmatic sellers. But there's a problem with CRM systems: many salespeople don't want to take the time to use them.

Without trucks, the supply chain would screech to a halt. Yet, the rising cost of fueling these workhorses, not to mention the toll truck emissions take on the environment and public health, are forcing shippers and carriers alike to retool their fleets.

While computer hackers and data thieves are always improving, developing ever-more sophisticated ways to to breach corporate security systems, businesses have been falling behind in the measures they're taking to protect themselves, a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers report asserts. C-suite executives, the aren't taking enough personal responsibility for mitigating organizational risk due to mobile computing and employees using their personal devices at work.

The savings that can be retrieved by automating and rationalizing approval and purchasing processes in small and mid-sized companies are palpable. A 2009 Aberdeen Group study estimated that "improving the percentage of all non-payroll, tax, tariff and fee-related spend" - that is, indirect, nonstrategic expenses - brought under the management of a dedicated group can help enterprises "achieve a 5% to 20% cost savings for each dollar brought under spend management".

Financial executives may wonder about all the fuss surrounding "GRC," or governance, risk management, and compliance. Is it just a repackaging by consultants and software vendors that brings together risk and compliance management? Why does everyone have a different definition of GRC, and if it is actually important, how do we know our GRC processes are effective?

Business uses for YouTube, Facebook and Twitter are fast catching up to the leisure uses that have been their primary raison d'etre so far, and usage of LinkedIn, which was created as a business tool, keeps soaring.

Before Jeff Piccolomini joined Henkel Corp. in 1997, he was dubious about corporate efforts to address environmental concerns - a "typical skeptical CFO," as he puts it. A CPA by training and a longtime finance executive, Piccolomini wasn't accustomed to dealing with the kind of green goals that the German-owned personal-care company had set in motion, such as reducing carbon emissions.

Wal-Mart's annual meeting next month promises to be a contentious one because of questions over how the retail giant handled bribery allegations at a Mexico subsidiary. Shareholders are concerned about the board members' independence in light of the alleged cover-up of bribery that occurred in 2005 and 2006.

At Hughes Communications, managing risk means developing proactive resiliency. Building a satellite requires coordination between both internal efforts - where engineers design the satellite, aligning the beam patterns with the geography that needs to be covered - and external partners, which provide parts from around the world.

Managing supply chain risk requires the ability to effectively and continuously apply three pillars of risk mitigation. Similar to the three legs of a stool, these are of equal importance, and when combined create the foundation for a comprehensive risk-management strategy.