We've passed the mid-year mark, which means that the budgeting process is upon us. For CPOs and procurement managers, this isn't exactly a high point of the year - few enjoy taking an annual break from the work at hand to focus on the budget. And of course there is added pressure to finalize strategic plans that align with an effective budget.

For manufacturers, Mexico is heating up. According to a recent survey from AlixPartners, 41 percent of manufacturing and distribution executives globally believe that bringing production back from overseas – a strategy known as nearshoring – is an opportunity for their organizations, and 86 percent of that group report that they have nearshored or expect to within the next few years.