The traditional holiday shopping season is shaping up to be a microcosm of the big changes that are roiling retailers every day.

For decades, companies have relied on warehouse management systems (WMS) to control inventory and material handling processes within their warehouses. Historically, retail distribution centers have been built upon plans that included predetermined transportation routes that outlined the number of stores on a route, what product those stores would get and the quantity and configuration of those products. Consequently, distribution centers have had similar designs, process methodologies and IT infrastructures for years. E-commerce has changed the game, though.

News out of the European Union these days seems to be all about divisiveness and imminent economic chaos. So it's easy to overlook the latest reforms that promise to make life easier for traders doing business in the region.

Lancaster Farm Fresh Organics (LFFO) has streamlined its previously manual fleet operations to help get product in and out of the warehouse and into the customer's hand in 24 hours or less, said Ben Kreider, the retailer's transportation director. LFFO uses the Descartes Route Planner.

In today's world of web-based ordering, consumers expect the right products to be available all the time, delivered quickly, and for status updates to be provided at every stage of the process until the product is received. This places very high expectations on wholesalers, suppliers, distributors and retailers alike to ensure they are able to meet this demand, and they have little margin for errors and delays. The manual processes businesses have historically relied on make them vulnerable to the factors that contribute to these shortcomings and can negatively affect production, margins, reputation, scorecard performance and, ultimately, the bottom line. Because of this, supply chain executives are embracing real-time visibility and system collaboration.