With all of the advances in forecasting technology and software, it's tempting to conclude that people don't need to play a direct role in the process anymore. But the opposite is true, says Jonathon Karelse, vice president of corporate development and strategic planning with Wholesale Tire Distributors.

Flash Europe International S.A., a specialist in expedited freight transportation, has acquired Roberts Europe, a longtime logistics provider based at Maastricht Airport in the Netherlands.

Six mega trends have been identified that will significantly impact the revenues, costs and profitability of the commercial vehicle industry as demand for trucks and buses evolves with globalization, technology development, regulation and emerging market growth, according to a report from Ernst + Young.

As a tier one automotive supplier, Active Tools International knows the importance of avoiding and mitigating supply chain disruptions. Bill Keller, president of global operations, says the company has developed written risk mitigation plans that emphasize the use of dual sourcing of parts.

Challenge: Our client, a leading canned and bottled juice company wanted to move to a Managed TMS program. The company considered a number of other options before selecting a system. It decided that software-based solutions that could be implemented in-house were too costly, both in terms of the initial outlay and ongoing maintenance. A web-based solution proved inadequate because it was not integrated properly with outbound operations.

Challenge: Our client's top issues included a lack of supply chain visibility and collaboration, coupled with disparate functional groups and external business partners. High seasonality compounded problems, bringing: Supply chain lags and disruptions; Poor customer service; Lost sales due to inability to deliver goods in time; Higher administrative costs due to manual, disjointed processes, internally and with external partners; Greater expediting and demurrage fees.

Data is a powerful lure, promising to turn the massive and ever-increasing volumes of data inside an organization into a pool of intelligence that promises deep, actionable insight into every aspect of a business. However, that lure can lead you into an expensive trap if you don't plan carefully.

Without a doubt, the economic downturn was difficult on everyone. Significant cutbacks in production left thousands of smaller suppliers struggling to remain in business. In the midst of this bleak scenario, some large manufacturing organizations have opted to share financial expertise, efficiency and lean manufacturing knowledge - and, in some cases, actual capital - with their smaller, highly valued suppliers to pull them from the brink.

Challenge: A multi-billion dollar automotive manufacturer of motor vehicles, engines, components and parts was experiencing significant communication challenges with their global suppliers. The high volume (200,000 parts) and diversity of parts required them to streamline their processes or risk losing customers, money, or both. Their former "push" inventory replenishment system with its one-way faxes and EDI orders could not accommodate any last-minute schedule changes nor did it provide the company or its suppliers with much visibility to stock and orders. Lastly, they needed to improve their supply chain administrative efficiencies internally and among its suppliers to reduce costs.