Two capabilities are helping manufacturers and retailers of brand-name consumer goods improve replenishment at the floor and shelf levels, says Kelly Thomas, senior vice president of product strategy and planning at i2 Technologies. These capabilities are the ability to operationally apply insights from demand signals and to collaboratively align measurements.

Raise fuel taxes to fund needed highway investments and honor the NAFTA provisions allowing Mexican trucking companies to operate in the U.S. Those are two of the straightforward opinions offered by Transplace CEO Tom Sanderson during a wide-ranging conversation on issues impacting the trucking industry.

So different from those of the past, today's supply chains require new strategy, analysis and planning, says Steve Martin, vice president of supply chain excellence at Ryder System. He discusses current marketplace realities and their impact on sourcing, sustainability, and inventory optimization in the midst of unpredictable demand.