The rapid expansion of discounters Aldi and Lidl — whose share of the grocery market has rocketed from less than 4 percent a decade ago to nearly 13 percent today — has hit all traditional supermarkets. But the industry’s biggest fear is Amazon.

For many consumer brands today, it’s a life-or-death struggle to stay relevant. Never mind loved.

Supply chain control towers can offer significant benefits to companies by extending visibility and control beyond the enterprise, and enabling advanced analytics, real-time collaboration, and sophisticated optimization. However, many control towers do not reach their full potential as they are built on antiquated foundations.

The big Japanese akita dog is stopped in his tracks by the box on wheels, unsure whether it is an equal to be greeted or another south London surface to be marked. His owner, hot on his heels, is just as surprised when he rounds the corner.

The procurement team at IBM is using the company’s powerful Watson computer to analyze suppliers, rate contracts and manage risk.