These are welcome words after years of uncertainty in the U.S. market. Industrial output continues to grow, U.S. manufactured products are globally competitive, and the industry as a whole is generating a significantly higher multiplier effect than any other sector.

Perhaps most telling is the significant impact manufacturing has on the overall economy, with numbers showing that the manufacturing sector is leading the continued U.S. economic recovery following the Great Recession. But not all manufacturing indexes are created equal. And according to last year's trends, there's a secret behind those experiencing the fastest, healthiest growth.

Throughout the industry, there are four major indexes that experienced strong growth in the closing of 2013: new orders, employment, supplier deliveries, and prices. And they all have one thing in common: significant data growth. A significant increase in data means companies must find a way to quickly and easily measure and monitor the way they do business or risk losing control.

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Keywords: Supply Chain Management, Supply Chain Development, U.S. Manufacturing, Supply Chain Solutions, SCM IT