Creating an ethical supply chain is clearly the right thing to do. But it can also help companies to cut costs and boost profits.

Lithium ion batteries are found in countless high-tech products – laptops, medical devices, security systems, disaster relief equipment and weather monitors, to name just a few. But are they too dangerous to ride on airplanes?

We're still waiting for many of the emerging markets of Latin America to emerge. What's holding them back?

So the Federal Aviation Administration has given Amazon.com, Inc. permission to begin testing delivery drones in the U.S. But there are still a number of logistical hurdles to be overcome, before the technology becomes feasible for everyday commercial use.

The way in which buyers pay their suppliers hasn't kept up with the times. The result: an unacceptable level of global supply-chain risk.

Just when you thought it was safe to move a container through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, another labor dispute boils up.

All global companies will tell you that they're committed to guaranteeing human rights throughout their supply chains. But how do we tell they're sincere?

So you think you've anticipated every possible disaster in your supply chain risk-management plan? How about snakes and alligators in your clean rooms?

Can we ever really know the Unknown? Or are we doomed to be forever surprised by economic, political and diplomatic upheavals?

Another Apple product. Another stampede to buy it.