A new global survey of IT decision-makers by Dell Quest Software reports that 70 percent of companies believe bring-your-won-device (BYOD) will improve or already has improved their work processes and 59 percent believe they would find themselves at a competitive disadvantage without BYOD.

Four years ago, Caribou coffee's supply chain was managed with spreadsheets. Their only method of gauging demand was the order-fill numbers of product leaving the warehouse - basic replenishment. The team knew they were missing a big opportunity - accurate visibility to drive a more efficient operation, right-size inventory, improved customer service, as well as the expansion of product sales. The supply chain team also knew they were faced with a lot of risk. Could they respond to demand variability?