Nearly everyone agrees that a synchronized supply chain requires effective collaboration between trading partners, but when it comes to defining what collaboration actually is and how to accomplish it, opinions are all over the map.

It's getting harder and harder to track the performance of suppliers, carriers and processes that make up a global supply chain. Here's how a few successful companies are addressing the problem.

A typical trucking company already spends as much as a fourth of its total operating costs on fuel. Ultra-low-sulfur diesel will cost even more yet deliver lower fuel efficiency.

Looking to save buckets of money by manufacturing outside your borders? Poor supply chain management can wipe out much of the cost advantage.