A report from the World Economic Forum identifies 31 proven practices to help companies achieve a "triple supply chain advantage" of increased revenue, a reduction in supply chain cost and added brand value. The practices also help companies shrink their carbon footprint and contribute to local development, including the health, welfare and working conditions of the communities in which they operate.

Analyst Insight: If supply chains are not planned, then they evolve and often become overly costly, risky and ineffective in serving customers. However, today's dynamic markets require much more than routine planning. Each mega-process in the end-to-end supply chain (Plan, Buy, Make, Move, Distribute and Sell) is undergoing change at an unprecedented rate. Leading solutions lie in advanced planning strategies and methods for both depth and breadth. While today's top companies understand this, the majority are not yet advanced in supply chain planning. – Gene Tyndall, Executive Vice President, Tompkins International

Aligning supply chain planning with execution is now a competitive necessity and essential for all organizations, according to a new study. Results from the 2014 Supply Chain Benchmarking Study reveal investment priorities and top challenges of more than 300 supply chain professionals from a wide cross-section of the market.

Significant effort and dollars are invested in lean initiatives each year in manufacturing plants across the United States. These investments can yield significant production and profitability gains if done properly.