P&G announced last week it will make additional investments in recycling and beneficial reuse that will eliminate all manufacturing waste from its global network of more than 100 production sites by 2020.

After Fiat Chrysler last week became the latest of the erstwhile Big 3 American carmakers to redirect investment to the U.S. from Mexico, Jefferies Group LLC had a message for investors: "Sell humans, buy robots.''

Pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods giant Johnson & Johnson has held a position on the Top 25 Supply Chains list for the past dozen years, dating back to when Gartner first began compiling its rankings, and a lot of the credit for the company's solid reputation in supply chain circles is due to Kathy Wengel, worldwide vice president of Johnson & Johnson Supply Chain.

From hand-crafted boutique brands to high-volume manufacturing and assembly, dedicated U.S. bicycle makers are reshoring bike production to the U.S. A confluence of factors including rising offshore costs, the benefits of a "local for local" business strategy, the growing popularity of bikes in expanding urban areas and patriotism are giving rise to new opportunities for an "old" mode of transportation.

U.S. manufacturers recognize the potential of the digital technologies known collectively as Industry 4.0 to create value, but they are largely approaching the opportunity in piecemeal fashion and may miss out on the significant business benefits these technologies offer, according to new research from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).