Companies wonder how often they should meet in order to achieve maximum information-sharing within the organization, as part of an effective sales and operations planning (S&OP) process. "As often as they need," advises Sanjiv Sharma, head of sales and operations planning with Rolls-Royce Energy Systems. "As little as they can get away with."

Cadec Global, a vendor of fleet-management technology, has developed a new version of its PowerVue application. PowerVue Enterprise, delivered under a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, extends companies' visibility into fleet-wide assets, Cadec said.

Aldata, a provider of business software for retailers, manufacturers and distributors, has created the 2012 version of Aldata Category Optimization.

Qualcomm Inc. is releasing two new applications for its Mobile Computing Platform 50 (MCP50), available in the summer of 2012.

"Where and how should the forecast organization report?" That's the number-one question that Lora Cecere, partner with the Altimeter Group, is asked as an analyst. Her answer: "It needs to report to an organization that's neutral."

GT Nexus and Kinaxis have formed a partnership to provide customers with a unified, cloud-based planning and execution platform.

A "V"-shaped business cycle is one that is characterized by a large market contraction, followed by a sharp and equally large expansion. Indeed, some companies during the Great Recession saw double-digit sales declines followed by commensurate increases. "It almost feels like you're on a roller coaster," says Marianne K. Gatten, director of strategic planning and business development with Emerson. "You're taking that first hill, scared of what's going to happen next." Managing the sales and operations planning (S&OP) process in such an environment can be extremely difficult.

CargoSmart Ltd., a vendor of global shipping and logistics applications delivered under the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, has launched business-process outsourcing services for ocean carriers and logistics service providers (LSPs).

Cass Information Systems, a provider of transportation, utility, telecom and waste invoice payment and information services, has launched Cass Freight Claims Services, an offering that allows shippers to effectively outsource the labor-intensive process of managing freight loss and damage claims and, in some cases, increase claims recoveries by decreasing threshold levels.