Analyst Insight: The top strategic action tied to improving parts management for service and support organizations in a recent Aberdeen research study on service parts logistics was to integrate service parts planning, forecasting and execution with overall logistics functions (i.e., procurement, supply chain management, inventory management) to ensure the delivery of the right part to the end customer when an asset goes down or is not operating at full efficiency. - Aly Pinder Jr., senior research associate, Aberdeen Group

As enterprises look to minimize complexity, improve inbound supply chain efficiency and reduce costs, there is a growing need for intelligent solutions that provide the visibility, optimization and integration required to ensure that every part, component and package is shipped using the most effective service level.

For this year's Supply Chain Innovation Award, first place goes to Ahold USA and its partners - ES3 and Del Monte Foods - for a distribution system that streamlines order-to-store deliveries from days to hours.

ADT Security Systems joins with Inmar Reverse Logistics to revamp the company's method for the receipt, management and disposition of returned parts, an opportunity that it had previously overlooked.