Analyst Insight: There are exciting developments in technologies and processes in the area of network design. Currently, both processes and technologies are rapidly evolving, offering exciting opportunities. It is one of the most critical investments for supply chain leaders in 2015. – Lora Cecere, Founder of Supply Chain Insights

Analyst Insight: Supply chain problems result from the uncertainty, time delay and amplification of variability based on demand changes from one function to another and from one organization to another. The parts of the chain don't work together! They often work against one another. The supply chain is a dysfunctional system that increases the cost of all participants in the system. Today's optimization and network technology provides the capability transform to a Smart Supply Network 3.0. – Rich Sherman, author and founder at Gold & Domas Research

The sign in the elevator banks at Coca-Cola Refreshments reads: "There is a person at the end of our supply chain." Well, that's a start.

The TrueCommerce EDI (electronic data interchange) Solutions Group of HighJump Software has partnered with NumberCruncher.com, a vendor of inventory and order-management software for QuickBooks users.

What will the typical factory look like five years from now?

Retail demand planning is, to a great extent, a game of numbers. But the store that relies entirely on hard statistics is likely to be in for an unpleasant surprise.