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.

The market leader in networking hardware creates a single enterprise of channel partners, connected by the internet, with stunning results.

As Kodak's European business changed in response to economic union and various internal factors, the company needed a logistics solution that would provide greater flexibility and lower overhead costs at key facilities. It opted for outsourcing with a shared-use approach, a concept that was given an unusual and innovative twist in the U.K. with partner MSAS Global Logistics.

GTE's in-house recovery operation is so successful that it now handles reverse logistics services for other companies. Likewise, 3M turned to its own logistics and manufacturing groups to recover useable by-products - and lots of money.