Mercedes-Benz is investing hundreds of millions in a global reorganization of its supply chain network that will set the course for growth and efficiency with the goal of reducing supply chain costs by 20 percent per vehicle.

When the Fukushima disaster rocked Japan in 2011, it created a serious disruption to the global supply chains of electronics, automobile and other major industries. Where should you focus your risk management efforts to avoid this kind of disruption?

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration has unveiled proposed rules for drone flights. The plan maintains aviation safety standards, but may make it difficult for companies - such as Amazon - hoping to use drones for delivery service.

As the globalization, expansion and growing interconnectivity of supply chains make them more complex, businesses and their suppliers are faced with new challenges, with new opportunities for growth. Many top companies invest a vast amount of resources in innovation. This commitment to innovation drives growth as they compete to remain top manufacturers and service providers. However, many of these top companies are not reaching their full potential. Their businesses are innovating, growing, and developing, but many of their suppliers are not.

The U.S. Department of Defense has issued an interim rule allowing the agency to consider supply chain risk in certain procurements related to national security systems, citing an "urgent need" to protect such programs from sabotage.