When Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate, Kia Motors Corp., announced Wednesday that they were conducting a massive recall of 1.7 million vehicles, it was a sign of what can go wrong when parts are shared by many vehicle models.

Companies say they are in dire need of competent supply and demand planners, but the requirements of that position today are so varied that you wonder whether a single person exists who can do the job. It calls for strong math and statistical skills, obviously, but a good planner must also be able to communicate well across the multiple "silos" of an organization. The right candidate will have a deep understanding of the requirements of manufacturing, logistics, marketing, sales and finance. Then there's the necessity of reaching outside company walls to suppliers and customers, to ensure that all parties are in agreement about what the demand forecast should be. Who are these freakishly talented individuals? And where can they be found?

5 Sourcing Excellence Initiatives Propelled by Next-Generation Technology

Given Google's central role in driving e-commerce traffic through its huge user base, its move into real-world commerce could be a major game changer. An online shopping service that provides same-day delivery of food and other products - that's the basic idea behind a new service now being tested by the company.

Same-day delivery, a concept that bombed during the dot-com era of the late 1990s, is back on the loading dock. Major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Nordstrom, eBay, and Amazon.com are all offering same-day delivery in a limited number of locations. FedEx, UPS, and the U.S. Postal Service are partners in these pilots.