Guy Yehiav, vice president of value chain planning with Oracle Corp., describes some innovative techniques that suppliers of consumer electronics can use to improve the matching of supply with demand - drawing on the resources of everyone in the chain.

Leo Lin, chief financial officer of Monster Cable Products, involves himself in every aspect of the company's supply chain, most notably its sales and operations planning process. Here, he offers some tips on how finance executives can break down traditional corporate silos.

John Brockwell, practice leader in trade management consulting with J.P. Morgan, talks about how companies are shifting from a mindset based purely on cost, to one that the accounts for the variability of global supply chains.

Some brand owners are working closely with retailers, but there's still a big disconnect between planning and reality, when it comes to getting the right product to the right stores, according to Prakash Arunkundrum, director of process consulting with i2 Technologies.