Analyst Insight: Today, sustainability is on the agenda of the highest-ranking corporate executives, as well as line-of-business managers. It is time for companies to take a more serious look at the role sustainability can play in making their supply chains more viable, competitive and best aligned with the Triple Bottom Line of profits, people and planet.

Analyst Insight: The industrial economy has been replaced by the information economy. For high-tech supply chains battling the recession and focusing on demand-driven strategies, it's the customer that has undergone the most dramatic transformation. Selling, fulfilling and servicing these customers will require new supply chain designs.

Analyst Insight: With numerous events and shipments to monitor, where should a company begin and in what areas are today's leaders focused? A recent study of over 209 companies shows that top performers are focusing on inbound supply chain events and are reaping big benefits.

Analyst Insight: Although companies were able to reduce absolute inventory levels by 10 percent from Q3/2008 to Q3/2009, a closer look reveals that Days Inventory On-hand deteriorated by 7.5 percent, resulting in excess working capital requirements of $50bn for the largest 1,000 U.S.-headquartered public companies. If not regained, this lost efficiency will become a more significant cash drain than expected in 2010.

Analyst Insight: The global trade management software market is in constant flux, but the risk mitigation benefits provided by the vendors are unmistakable. Vendors offer solutions across logistics, compliance, and finance, and spending on GTM software remains one of the few bright spots with 53 percent of respondents from our recent survey stating they are going to increase spending on GTM.

Analyst Insight: As of 2010, the traditional relationship between supply chain and business is in full revolution, and global supply chain management has become more important than ever. The roles of supply chain and manufacturing within organizations continue to evolve, making it clear that manufacturing should be reporting to supply chain, instead of the other way around.