The Deloitte & Touche LLP consultancy has teamed up with LLamasoft Inc., a provider of supply-chain design software, to provide risk-management services to global companies.

Analysis from IHS Technology forecasts a solid upturn for the global solar PV supply chain sector after a weak first six months of the year.

Having established a solid presence on the East Coast, Neiman Marcus decided it was time to build its own dedicated distribution center. Steve Johnson, principal with Johnson Stephens Consulting Inc., relates how the project was successfully carried out.

It's been called everything from a nuisance to a necessary evil. But reverse logistics can be much more than that.

Talk all you want about the deeper aspects of supplier-buyer relationships. But doesn't it always come down to price?

There is a sea change occurring in global supply chains and operations, driven by a series of massive environmental shifts – digitization, the "Internet of Things," geopolitical cost and risk structures and, less noticed by senior executives but every bit as important, a huge increase in the power of customers, whether consumers or businesses. This last factor is driven by social media, ubiquitous connectivity and increased communication, and is resulting in decreased brand loyalty and increased demands and expectations across a wide range of service and experience. To respond to, and be ahead of, these changes, companies need to be agile, resilient and low-cost while simultaneously driving increased customer retention and acquisition. No longer is the question "do we prioritize customer intimacy or operational effectiveness?" Now everyone needs both!