Diversifying your supply chain brings innovation and improves business credentials, according to the head of procurement at pharmaceutical firm Roche.

The practice of supplier rationalisation in which spend is concentrated with fewer, larger suppliers has been called into question.

The undisputed Holy Grail in healthcare supply chain management practice is essentially everything related to its effective clinical integration. It's about getting clinical professionals and supply chain professionals on the same page and/or out of their own way - to streamline the delivery of patient benefit.

Challenge: A multi-national corporation producing personal care products had several business units struggling to align all functions. Surprises and expediting were part of the management process; long-term visibility was not holistic. Decisions were made in silos without a formal review. A major difference between what was planned and was executed resulted.

Challenge: A food company with flat revenue and growth in a five-year period struggled to increase market share and household penetration where expectations and prices fluctuate. Credibility of the forecasts was debated, and plans were not consolidated. Receiving timely, accurate data was a struggle, and a $100m profit gap was projected.

An unusual partnership between a major industry trade group and private retailer seeks to create a system for benchmarking supply-chain performance by e-commerce companies.