If robots are taking human jobs, they haven't made much headway in Santa's workshop - or in his supply chain. It turns out that even the most technologically advanced retailers need lots of humans to serve customers. Amazon, arguably the most disruptive force in American retailing, announced last week that it would be hiring 120,000 seasonal workers this year - 20 percent more than last year - and the Seattle giant isn't alone.

World-class procurement organizations now have 18 percent lower operating costs than typical companies, and operate with 28 percent fewer staff, while generating more than twice the return on investment, according to new benchmark research from The Hackett Group.

The 30 Under 30 Award, presented by ThomasNet.com and ISM to recognize contributions by young supply-management professionals, is now open to global applicants.

The National Retail Federation has filed suit in U.S. District Court on behalf of the millions of employers and employees it says will be drastically affected if the Labor Department's changes to the federal overtime rules go into effect on Dec. 1.