Hollywood studios know that box-office receipts are greatest in the first weeks of a film's release, and the same is true for their video sales divisions. MGM Home Entertainment's VMI initiative ensure that its retailers are stocked (and replenished) with the latest videos.

One of the world's most complex automotive supply chains has been tamed with an optimization tool that links thousands of suppliers and service providers with the component requirements of Ford plants all over the globe.

The consumer products division of Ericsson, the Swedish telecommunications giant, found additional dollars to invest in its capital-intensive business by outsourcing inbound logistics and shifting responsibility for inventory management to vendors.

Home Depot has centralized its import operations, opened a major import distribution center in Savannah, Ga., and installed purchase-order and import tracking software from RockPort Trade Systems to support its continuing, rapid-fire growth.