It's no surprise that supply chains are growing in complexity as manufacturers continue to globalize in order to reduce costs and expand their market. With this shift, manufacturers need to take a new approach to managing their supply chains by finding ways to improve communication with suppliers, obtain early visibility into sourcing information and better mitigate supplier risk.

The consumer products sector, like every segment of the economy, is facing volatility on a scale and level of complexity never seen before, particularly in the area of inventory management. Economic volatility and demand variability present challenges that old models for managing the CP supply chain are not equipped to handle. Fortunately, a new breed of inventory optimization technology is helping CP companies tackle these challenges and improve supply chain efficiency.

Imagine a day in the not-so-distant future: A woman strolls past "dress shop #12." A GPS application on her smartphone pings the store's CRM system, alerting it of the woman's proximity to the store. The system automatically searches her purchasing history, connecting her most recent internet search for floral, pleated skirts to the last such skirt in stock now at Dress Shop #12 - in her exact size. The system then texts her a 10-percent discount on the desired item, along with the store's address. The woman sees the store, enters and purchases the item. The transaction is processed and the sale is reported to the inventory system. A replenishment order is sent to a 3PL warehouse in the Philippines, and on the next delivery, a new floral pleated skirt arrives at the store. The woman leaves with the merchandise, and before she gets home, an email is already waiting in her inbox providing a coupon for her next store visit.

Over the last two decades, businesses have worked feverishly to optimize their physical supply chains. Virtually every discussion about improving the supply chain has been centered on the physical movement of goods - the flow of products from raw materials to consumption. However, a growing number of companies are now taking a similar interest in optimizing the flow and management of the information related to these products.