Organizations around the world lose an estimated 5 percent of their annual revenues to occupational fraud, according to a survey of certified fraud examiners who investigated cases between January 2012 and December 2013. Applied to the estimated 2013 gross world product, this figure translates to a potential total fraud loss of more than $3.5tr.

Optimization technology allows manufacturing companies to become more flexible and to more efficiently manage their supply chains by accounting for real life constraints and business rules. They can review "what-if" analyses of various scenarios, tied to key performance indicators that measure success on an ongoing basis. They can generate near optimal plans from the virtually infinite number of possible options. And with a clear set of future-oriented KPIs they can measure tomorrow’s performance before it happens.

The semiconductor and electronics industries have learned in the most difficult manner in the past few years how damaging business disruptions due to weather can be.

Stage Stores, which operates 880 small-town department stores under such names as Beall's and Peebles, has learned the value of having products delivered floor ready. Tim Duvic, vice president of distribution, explains how the company educates its suppliers on packaging and preparing orders for fast processing on receipt.