Solving Efeso and the Cranfield School of Management conducted a multi-year study on how companies approach supply chain strategy at the boardroom level, correlating specific practices with supply chain performance and business success. Steve Mayhew, principal consultant at Solving Efeso, discusses the study and highlights key findings.

The terms "3PL" and "broker" are often used interchangeably, but they mean quite different things. George Abernathy, president and chief commercial officer of Transplace, explains the distinction, and offers advice on which entity to employ in various situations.

Solutions that allow users to tactically plan transportation routes and optimize backhauls enable significant efficiencies, says Sara Curtis, principal consultant at Peak 5. She explains how Peak 5 works with clients to implement and leverage these applications.

TE Connectivity is a $13bn world leader in designing and manufacturing electronic connectivity products for a range of industries. Ruud Somers, director of global network design, discusses how the company uses supply chain modeling and optimization solutions to support the high service demands of its global network.

Karen Hogan, global director of operational excellence at Southco, discusses the challenges of multi-echelon inventory optimization and how Southco has used solutions from LLamasoft to integrate IO into a monthly planning process.

Transcepta LLC has begun offering trade-finance services to its customers.

Oracle Corp. has released version 12.2.4 of the Oracle E-Business Suite.