E-commerce, the ever-present risk of supply disruptions, volatile and unpredictable consumer demand - they're all combining to create global supply chains with more complexity than ever before. Valerie Bonebrake, senior vice president of Tompkins International, describes the challenge, and offers some solutions.

Oracle Corp. has introduced an application to support project-driven supply chains.

Backward-looking KPIs, especially those on safety stock, are a necessity in successful S&OP processes, says Erik Hjerpe of TreeHouse Foods, a private-brand food manufacturer. He explains why this is so and how TreeHouse employs a variety of safety stock strategies.