As a supply chain manager, you can build and deploy the best supplier collaboration system available, but if your vendors are not onboard, it's about as useful as an empty warehouse. The success of your collaboration project is directly tied to supplier willingness to use the system.

SATO, a leader in barcode printing, labeling and EPC/RFID solutions, has introduced the CL4NX series of industrial thermal barcode printers.

Logility Inc. has made generally available version 8.5 of Logility Voyager Solutions.

Supply chain visibility is a requirement for any organization competing in today's global marketplace. The top strategy for organizations looking to improve visibility into their supply chains is to implement technologies that enable effective monitoring of not just tier one suppliers but tier two and tier three suppliers. New technologies enable real-time collaboration between an organization and its suppliers by providing a mechanism for sharing information about inventory and processes throughout the supply chain. – Andrea Stroud, Research Program Manager, APQC

Analyst Insight: In July 2013, Mary Driscoll of APQC had an interesting headline in the Harvard Business Review Blog — "Why are Companies Continually Getting Blind-sided by Risk?" Their risk management survey highlighted that 75 percent of respondents stated they were hit by at least one major supply chain disruption over the past two years. Another key finding: people at the front lines of business were hamstrung by lack of resources for visibility needed to adequately assess their supply chain risk. – Gregory L. Schlegel, Founder, The Supply Chain Risk Management Consortium, and Adjunct Professor, Supply Chain Risk Management, Lehigh University