Even in today's data-hungry analytics environment, collecting and keeping every tiny granule of retail data - down to the level of each individual transaction and web click - might seem like overkill. But Sears Holdings has discovered that data storage costs have gotten low enough, and analytical tools have grown powerful enough, that this approach to Big Data has shortened the time needed for analytics projects by 60 percent to 70 percent, while also improving promotion conversions, lowering inventory levels and boosting sales.

Multi-tier supply chain visibility is no longer just a pipe dream -- market leaders in every industry segment have visibility not just into their important tier 1 suppliers, but at least a limited cross-section of their tier 2 and tier 3 suppliers as well.

Walmart committed to increase domestic U.S. sourcing of the products it sells, including taking steps to help onshore manufacturing of appliances.

Pier Luigi Sigismondi, chief supply chain officer of Unilever, enumerates the ways in which the company's supply chain adds value to the business. He also talks about issues of sustainability and supply-chain segmentation.

Eric O'Daffer, research director with Gartner, joins us for an update on the major issues affecting the healthcare supply chain, including the potential impact of healthcare reform.

QAD Inc. has developed new demand-planning capabilities as an add-on to it its QAD Enterprise Applications suite.

Chain restaurants, battered by value-hungry customers and rising commodity prices, are showing little appetite for significant menu price increases, according to a new survey of industry executives conducted by SpenDifference, a supply chain co-op that helps restaurants save money.

Aspen Technology Inc. has made available version 8 of aspenONE, the vendor's application for process optimization.