Rizwan Asim, head of procurement and supply chain with SSC Al-Suwaidi Holding Co., discusses how integrated demand planning is helping Middle Eastern retailers to cope with a market boom.

Callaway Golf Co. relies on integrated demand planning to service a market that ranges from large and small retailers to buyers who have clubs customized to meet their unique requirements. Derek Hillier, director of strategic sales initiatives for the Americas region, explains how it's all done.

Flashy customer-facing technology is fine, but it's nice to see a retailer giving employees something shiny to look at, too. U.K. online grocer Ocado is now using what looks like a 3D animated video game to give managers a better view of highly automated warehouse operations.

IFS, a vendor of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems based on service-oriented architecture (SOA) technology, has developed IFS Applications 8, the latest version of its offering for manufacturing industries.

Knowing how to effectively manage fuel costs is an important skill for 3PL providers, particularly in the current environment of volatile and spiking oil prices, says Skip Wendel, global vice president for consumer and retail at UTi Worldwide.

Camstar Systems Inc. has released the NPI (New Product Introduction) Accelerator for manufacturers. The tool is intended to help users design, test and speed up the NPI process.

With all of the advances in forecasting technology and software, it's tempting to conclude that people don't need to play a direct role in the process anymore. But the opposite is true, says Jonathon Karelse, vice president of corporate development and strategic planning with Wholesale Tire Distributors.