Technology has empowered customers in such a way that they are now in charge of the business relationship - a fact that's left many businesses playing catch-up. Companies and supply chains that fail to realize this risk losing customers if they don't respond to their needs.

The electronic industry has always been characterized by high variability in supply and demand. With recent natural disasters such as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and flooding in the parts of the U.S., the problem has only become more acute. Tackling it requires state-of-the-art systems, strong management commitment, good customer service, well-run business processes, integration among functions and effective inventory-control procedures, says Dave Lentz, director of innovation and solutions marketing with Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas.