There was a time when ocean carriers fashioned themselves as providers of premium, door-to-door transportation. Not anymore.

If we're to believe the big container lines, ever-larger ships are the remedy for their financial woes. Why, then, are so many of them still losing money?

Assuming that the rank and file of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) ratifies the new five-year contract negotiated with terminal operators, West Coast ports can finally focus on getting container-handling operations back to normal. So is everyone happy?

The sign in the elevator banks at Coca-Cola Refreshments reads: "There is a person at the end of our supply chain." Well, that's a start.

Retail demand planning is, to a great extent, a game of numbers. But the store that relies entirely on hard statistics is likely to be in for an unpleasant surprise.

The food industry has a lot on its plate these days.

We've heard it before: chief procurement officers aren't just cost-cutters. They're contributing real value to the organization. But is that really true?

For all its promise of lower cost and easier management of software applications, cloud technology has yet to be fully embraced by supply chain managers.

We've heard it before: manufacturing is leaving China and coming back to the West. But the reality isn't that simple.

Expecting all that stuff you ordered over the internet to come to your doorstep by drone? Don't look up just yet.