Analyst Insight: Highly regulated industries"”such as pharmaceuticals, aerospace, food, and chemicals"”typically implement traceability and serialization capabilities to meet regulatory requirements, quality, and recall purposes. These same capabilities can be useful in reducing theft within the supply chain. But it takes more than just technology. It requires a community that can share that information effectively and collaborate with law enforcement at national, state and local levels. -- Bill McBeath, Chief Research Officer, ChainLink Research

Analyst Insight: Retail has reached a number of crucial tipping points. The economy, online shopping, technology, store relevance and other factors are driving companies to the crossroads where business strategy meets the supply chain. Traditional thinking around customer satisfaction, distribution networks and operations is obsolete given the huge impact of these tipping points on all supply chains. Going beyond the crossroads means having the right business strategy and having the right supply chains. - Jim Tompkins, CEO & President, Tompkins International

The English language is full of potentially polarizing statements. But few are more likely to inspire mixed feelings among DC professionals than some facsimile of this: "Our facility is getting a labor management system."

Analyst Insight: Supply chain has often been an afterthought for pharmaceutical manufacturers. The patent cliff, increasing reliance on generics, and price pressure from payers all create considerable margin pressures on pharma companies as well. This forces them to pay closer attention to operational efficiencies, including the supply chain. However, less noticed is the impact that evidence-based medicine and outcome-driven payment strategies have, compelling pharmaceutical manufacturers to more closely manage their entire end-to-end chain, especially on the downstream side. - Bill McBeath, Chief Research Officer, ChainLink Research

Analyst Insight: The pharmaceutical and bio-tech industry, as well as the medical device and medical product industries, are at a crossroads. This crossroads consists of industry identity and business channel markets determination - each of which will drive every company's future in the domestic and international marketplace as a single sector leader or multimarket healthcare provider for the coming decade. - Brian Hudock, Partner, Tompkins International

Analyst Insight: For the better part of 40 years truly leading-edge firms have made supply chain design/redesign using network optimization models an integral part of their overall corporate strategy. The focus has gradually evolved from a myopic consideration of the number and location of warehouses to a comprehensive examination of the entire supply chain, from sources of raw materials to the customer. The principal impediments to success are myopic scope and failure to institutionalize the process. - Jeffrey J. Karrenbauer, President, Insight Inc.

Analyst Insight: "Big data" software and analysis will be the most important supply chain technology for forecasting and demand planning in the years to come. Through analysis of huge quantities of data it provides a competitive advantage by providing unparalleled insights. The challenge for companies will be staying ahead of the technology in a cost-effective manner, and developing organizational processes to effectively utilize the huge amounts of data and absorb the information into their organizational decision making processes. - Nada R. Sanders, Professor of Supply Chain Management and Iacocca Chair, Lehigh University