Companies are interested in optimizing their distribution networks, especially as fuel costs continue to climb and pressures mount to launch environmental initiatives. Nari Viswanathan, research director at Aberdeen Group, says that good network planning is both strategic and operational for a multi-node, multiple-level supply chain. For example, some companies are bringing manufacturing, now done in low-cost countries, back in-house. Money spent on higher-cost labor, is often saved by eliminating or reducing high-cost transportation. [Run Time (Min): 4:56]