In the past year, consumers who have tried to buy a pair of shoes, products for the home or back-to-school items have encountered a common problem: They can’t find what they’re looking for.

Consumer and corporate expectations around visibility, agility, and flexibility have shifted. We’ll never be able to transition back to opaque processes, PDFs, and Excel spreadsheets.

Michael Einhorn, chief executive officer of medical supplier Dealmed, explains how the healthcare purchasing system frustrates attempts to diversify sourcing of personal protective equipment and head off future shortages in times of emergency.

Cliff Waldman, chief executive officer of New World Economics, explains how manufacturing labor productivity is measured, and why it’s such an important metric for assessing economic health.

Are companies taking their eye off the ball when it comes to monitoring the ethics of their suppliers?