Lean is a popular concept with many manufacturers, but it hasn't been widely applied in a coherent fashion that leads to bottom-line benefits. Tony Gorski, chief executive officer of DemandPoint, has some ideas on how companies can rethink their approach to the subject.

Spencer Mott, chief information security officer with Electronic Arts, talks about industry efforts to stay one step ahead of criminals, who have taken a new approaching to theft in the age of the internet and social networking.

If you can't comply with today's strict delivery windows mandated by many retailers, consider expedited shipments, says Tom Goosmann, sales director of Panther Expedited Services. The cost will be much cheaper than the chargebacks and penalties a merchant will assess.

The third-party logistics services sector in the U.S. is set to expand by more than 13 percent this year, says Evan Armstrong, president of Armstrong Associates Inc. But the future will see more even more dynamic growth in such places as China and India.