Steve Lovejoy, senior vice president for the Starbucks global supply chain, discusses initiatives that the company has under way to meet the "whenever, wherever" demands of today's consumers as well as projects aimed at understanding the consumer of tomorrow.

Creating an ethical supply chain is clearly the right thing to do. But it can also help companies to cut costs and boost profits.

Colman Roche, principal with CRE, offers a high-level perspective of current technological trends in the supply chain.

A supplier review process at Chick-Fil-A has grown from a simple, manual exercise to a robust collaborative initiative involving numerous internal departments and high-level sit-down meetings with suppliers. Mike Walpole, senior manager of distribution and logistics, explains how the process has evolved and where it is going.

MBM Corp. is a customized food products distributor to 28 restaurant chains in the U.S. and abroad. Because truck drivers are a critical part of MBM's operations and its primary customer contact, driver recruitment and retention are crucial strategies, says Mark Luttrell, vice president.

The shift of most U.S. furniture manufacturing to offshore locations has extended lead times by 90 days for furniture retailer Haverty's. John Gross, eastern regional manager, says a policy of "trust but verify" is essential to ensure that suppliers deliver on time.