Retailers and consumer packaged goods companies are dealing with new rules of consumer engagement as they seize opportunities from advanced technology and the digitally connected consumer, according to the 2013 Financial Performance Report by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and PwC US, titled Growth Strategies: Unlocking the Power of the Consumer.

Eight p.m. in the "war room" of Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems: 150 people from all over the world are on a conference call. The topic is a supply outage of trocars, a medical device used in microscopic surgery. Someone on the line, clearly untroubled by the crisis, speaks up. "It's just a trocar," he says.

New York's manufacturing sector receives an 'F' and its logistics gets a 'C'. The situation isn't much better for several nearby states, according to the 2013 Manufacturing and Logistics Report Card, an in-depth analysis from Ball State University's Center for Business and Economic Research. The report grades all 50 states, ranking several areas of the economy.

True supplier collaboration can drive innovation and value, but success depends upon a foundation of trust that enables partners to effectively deal with such issues as intellectual property rights. Jon Washington, director of product sourcing and global procurement at Diebold, shares his company's approach.