In emerging markets, regulations impacting trade and business differ greatly from country to country and changes constantly occur with little or no notice, says Mark Millar, managing partner at M Power Associates, Hong Kong. Because of this, trade compliance is an increasingly important issue for companies doing business in these economies.

The ability of the largest U.S. companies to collect from customers and manage inventory improved just slightly in 2011, while payables performance worsened, according to the 14th annual working capital survey from REL Consulting, a division of The Hackett Group and CFO Magazine.

Jim Crowell, director of the Supply Chain Management Research Center at the University of Arkansas, demonstrates why on-shelf availability is a critical metric for retailers.

After demonstrating significant success with lean manufacturing, Johnson & Johnson decided to apply lean principles for reducing waste to its supply chain.

On July 25th Lenovo, a Chinese computer firm, announced a deal to sponsor the National Football League. The PC maker has come a long way since 1984, when it was founded by 11 engineers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences who wanted to supplement their meager stipends.

The savings that can be retrieved by automating and rationalizing approval and purchasing processes in small and mid-sized companies are palpable. A 2009 Aberdeen Group study estimated that "improving the percentage of all non-payroll, tax, tariff and fee-related spend" - that is, indirect, nonstrategic expenses - brought under the management of a dedicated group can help enterprises "achieve a 5% to 20% cost savings for each dollar brought under spend management".

How can we tell how small businesses are feeling? Find out how many vans they're buying. Van sales were up 32 percent in July over last year, a greater increase than nearly every other vehicle type, except for sports cars, according to data from Bloomberg Industries.

An effective procurement process begins with having all spend under control, including money spent on logistics and transportation, says Nick Seiersen, president and CEO of Seiersen Enterprise. Overall, such a process should ensure that the right suppliers provide the right products or services on the right terms, he says.