"Multinational" doesn't necessarily mean global. IBM saw the need to apply rigorous analytics to virtually every function that makes up its supply chain - and in the process, harmonize business processes across the organization.

All hail the omni-channel. But how can logistics providers possibly keep pace with an explosion in the number of delivery points within a city that must be served?

XPO Logistics Inc. has agreed to acquire NLM, reportedly the largest provider of Web-based expedited transportation management in North America.

Trust and a sharing of risk and reward are the hallmarks of an outsourcing agreement that took the two companies beyond the concept of "price per activity," to one that strives for mutual profitability and enhanced customer service.

As businesses increasingly become more mobile, integrating different devices, applications and data into a single, seamless network is a significant challenge. In this Power Lunch roundtable, conducted at the annual user conference sponsored by Barcoding Inc., three experts discuss the keys to a successful integration project and identify common mistakes to avoid. They are: Martin Jack, chief technology officer at Barcoding Inc.; Kerry Kulp, network systems consultant at Cumulus Consulting Group; and Kelly Harris, director of program management at Barcoding Inc. The conversation is facilitated by SupplyChainBrain Editor Emeritus Jean Murphy.

Never mind those expert consultancies and handsomely compensated analysts who purport to tell us the future of supply-chain management. The real answers can be found in an event that's held once a year in the heart of Silicon Valley. With dinner thrown in as well.

Global supply chains are becoming increasingly complicated. But they also need to respond to demands by customers for simplicity. Padman Ramankutty, chief executive officer of Intrigo Systems Inc., explains the apparent paradox.